


Khronicles of Fire and Ice

by Crystal_Prisom



Category: Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Deadpan Hanzo, Focused Around Their Friendship, Funny Kuai, Gen, Some Pre-Determined Character Deaths, for plot purposes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-01-25 16:19:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18578107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystal_Prisom/pseuds/Crystal_Prisom
Summary: *Takes place after Shinnok's defeat by Cassie Cage. Raiden is not corrupt. The revenants have been freed, currently adjusting to their lives.*What happens when two long-time rivals finally put aside their differences? This collection of stories!





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> The first appearances of their early friendship.
> 
> (I like to think that Kuai Liang is secretly mischievous. Just what I like. :P)

With Shinnok's defeat bringing a newfound sense of peace throughout the realms, this only meant that it was time for "spring cleaning".

The fallen Elder God's attack on the Jinsei had managed to damage certain areas of the world; this meant that almost every available Special Forces soldier had to attend to these disaster areas, leaving the base unguarded.

However, the aftermath was not without its triumphs. In defeating Shinnok, Cassie had rendered the god useless that his control over the revenants had been dissolved completely. They had recently awoken, recovered from their wounds. After a week of stabilizing mentally, they had left to accomplish their own individual tasks. 

Liu Kang, Kitana, Jade, and Sindel had all gone to counsel Kotal Kahn about Edenia's fate. They were unable to unmerge the realms but managed to divide Outworld's territory such that the land of Edenia was restored. Liu Kang, Kitana, and Sindel ruled over Edenia, while Jade was engaged to Kotal Kahn, surprisingly. Everyone would be invited to their wedding two months later. Kabal and Stryker had agreed to join the Special Forces in their responsibilities with cleaning up the world. Kung Lao had retreated to the White Lotus with Raiden to clear his mind of the past.

However, Tomas had decided to give up his life of violence and fighting, settling down in Edenia. He had joined Kitana and her friends and had obtained living area for him. 

This decision affected Kuai the most, as he wanted desperately to reconnect with his friend, but was unable to give up his duties. They promised that they would keep in touch, and said their temporary goodbyes.

Sonya had kept the kids at the base to recover from their wounds. She was always on a mission, helping people from the "suddenly occurring natural disasters" with Johnny, Kenshi, and even Jax, who had agreed to help temporarily.

This, of course, had resulted in little supervision of the Special Forces base. Because of this, Sonya had asked Kuai and Hanzo to supervise the base while they were away. Kuai had also lent some of his students to aid the Special Forces, as well as Hanzo.

Which was why he was sitting in the Special Forces "living room", reading a book that he had brought with him from his collection. Hanzo was sitting across from him, fully recovered from his own wounds inflicted by D'Vorah. He had his arms crossed, a reminder of his earlier rant.

Kuai remembered it clearly. The man was upset that he was reduced to the rank of "babysitter" for the Special Forces, but Kuai had a sneaking suspicion that he was upset about his earlier actions; killing Quan Chi and almost preventing the revenants from coming back, as well as allowing Shinnok to be freed.

He sighed, putting down the book. There was no point in reading it now if his mind was troubled about this. "What is on your mind, Hanzo?"

The Shirai Ryu General looked up, glaring slightly. "Nothing. I am fine, Sub-Zero," he replied defensively. Kuai rolled his eyes. "For the last time, it's  _Kuai._ I call you by your name, the least you could do is call me by mine."

Hanzo turned away, and Kuai sighed again. "Look. There's no use in denying that you're bothered. But I can't help you if you won't tell me, Hanzo." The Shirai Ryu turned back to face him, anger gone. "I'm certain that you've already deduced what has been bothering me, Su - Kuai Liang."

Kuai nodded, both at the use of his name and to agree with Hanzo's statement. "You let anger get the better of you again. At least it was for a good cause this time. Yet, Hanzo, you place unnecessary blame on yourself."

The former hellspawn shook his head. "What unnecessary blame? I allowed Quan Chi to obtain the amulet, and he freed Shinnok because of it." Kuai nodded again. "Yes. This did happen. But Cassandra Cage and her team were able to defeat Shinnok. The world is safe now. What point is there in reminiscing on the past?"

Hanzo stayed silent.

Kuai, seeing that he was getting through to him, pressed on. "Besides, if you're going to get back at me for what I did, you're going to need to be in better spirits."

Hanzo nodded, staring off into space, before jumping up in his seat slightly. "What did you mean?" Kuai matched his look of confusion with his own look of mischief that only Hanzo and Tomas had seen. "You know what I'm talking about, Hanzo! I released those birds in your temple about a week and a half ago when I came to visit!"

The Shirai Ryu General, who had accepted that Kuai Liang was more mischievous than Johnny Cage, stared at him for only a few seconds before getting out of his seat. (It had taken him a full five minutes the first time before he had reacted. Kuai had kept count on a stopwatch.) "You dick!" Hanzo shouted. "Do you know how long it took me to get them out without severely harming them? Fuck you!"

Kuai snickered as he watched the other man rant. "Are you done now?" Hanzo stared at Kuai, who was failing to keep a grin off of his face before he himself broke off in slight chuckling.

"Okay," Hanzo said, "that was actually pretty good. I'm still a little mad, but that was good. It was pretty funny to see my students run around trying to get those birds under control."

The "all-professional" Lin Kuei Grandmaster looked around before leaning back, adopting a carefree stance in his seat. "Well, at least I can relax now. No one else around to be professional with. Do you know how hard it is for me to stay that way all day? All those missed opportunities of pranks I could have capitalized on..."

Hanzo snorted. "Poor you." He got up, leaving the area.

"Where are you going?" Kuai called out after him. "Plotting my revenge!" Hanzo shouted back before turning a corner.

Kuai picked up his book, opening it to the page he had marked. _Well, at least I got him in good spirits again. Even if this development brings up issues for my future..._

* * *

Takeda was restricted to the medbay.

He wasn't the only one; the rest of their quartet were also confined. They had monitors on their ankles, as they all had a previous history of not staying to fully recover. If they left the room, they'd be injected with a sedative and find themselves back in their bed again.

The boredom was not only affecting him. Kung Jin groaned for the eleventh time the past hour. "Guys. Come on, this is stupid. Can't we do  _anything?_ _"_

Jacqui sighed. "Sorry, Jin. Sub-Zero and Scorpion are supervising the complex. I don't know about you, but I'm afraid of what they're going to do if they find us misbehaving."

Cassie pulled out a tablet. "Well, what are they doing now?" Takeda looked over. "You have access to the security cameras?" Cassie smirked. "Duh! Let's see what they're up too..."

They scanned through the feed until they came across the living area camera. "Doesn't look like they're doing anything," Jacqui said.

Kung Jin frowned. "Whose idea was it to put those two together? Aren't they still hostile towards each other?"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Keep up with the times, Jin! They're mutual allies now, or whatever."

Takeda could understand why Jin was so surprised. Their story was infamous. Anyone who fought for or against the Special Forces was aware of it. "They're talking. What are they saying?" Takeda asked.

Cassie turned on the volume, and their conversation was heard clearly. 

_"... last time, it's Kuai. I call you by your name, the least you could do is call me by mine."_

Jacqui snickered. "Sub-Zero's trying to get Scorpion to call him by his real name? Good luck with that."

_"Look. There's no use in denying that you're bothered. But I can't help you if you won't tell me, Hanzo."_

_"I'm certain that you've already deduced what has been bothering me, Su - Kuai Liang."_

Cassie nudged Jacqui with her elbow. "He said it. Not so hard after all, huh?"

_"You let anger get the better of you again. At least it was for a good cause this time. Yet, Hanzo, you place unnecessary blame on yourself."_

_"What unnecessary blame? I allowed Quan Chi to obtain the amulet, and he freed Shinnok because of it."_

Takeda felt something shift uncomfortably in his chest. He knew all too well the guilt that rested on his master's shoulders. He knew how bad it could affect him, sometimes.

_"Yes. This did happen. But Cassandra Cage and her team were able to defeat Shinnok. The world is safe now. What point is there in reminiscing on the past?"_

Takeda spoke up. "We should stop. We're intruding on their privacy, now."

Kung Jin shook his head. "Shut up, Tak. There's nothing wrong with this..."

_"Besides, if you're going to get back at me for what I did, you're going to need to be in better spirits."_

All four of them had confused looks on their faces. "Get back at him for what?" Cassie asked rhetorically. Jacqui frowned. "What did he do?"

_"...released those birds in your temple about a week and a half ago when I came to visit!"_

The four stared at the screen for a split second before breaking off in giggles. "Sub-Zero did that?" Kung Jin said in amazement and shock.

"Wait! Scorpion's just reacting to it," Jacqui pointed at the screen.

_"You dick! Do you know how long it took me to get them out without severely harming them? Fuck you!"_

The four broke off in laughter. They stopped only when Hanzo started to chuckle as well. Takeda smiled at the image.  _It's good to see him happy and unstressed..._

_"Okay, that was actually pretty good. I'm still a little mad, but that was good. It was pretty funny to see my students run around trying to get those birds under control."_

_"Well, at least I can relax now. No one else around to be professional with. Do you know how hard it is for me to stay that way all day? All those missed opportunities of pranks I could have capitalized on..."_

_A snort. "Poor you."_

_"Where are you going?"_

_"Plotting my revenge!"_

Kung Jin spoke up. Cassie smirked. "Of course. Who do you think I am?"

Jacqui shook her head. "Are we not going to talk about the fact that Sub-Zero has impulses to prank people, and that Scorpion just laughed?"

"He chuckled," Takeda corrected, "But it was close to laughter, I guess."

* * *

Sonya and the others had finished early.

They were on their way back by copter, talking amongst each other. "God, I'm so fucking happy to get back for some good, quality sleep," Johnny sighed into their headsets.

Stryker was in the front, piloting the aircraft with Kabal sitting next to him in the cockpit, but they both briefly acknowledged his statement.

Jax snorted. "For once, I agree with you, Cage."

Kenshi smirked tiredly. "I am also glad to get back. I hope Takeda has recovered well."

Sonya smiled at them all. After seeing Johnny in his weakened state in D'Vorah's cocoon, she only then realized how afraid she was of losing him. They made up, much to Cassie's delight.

After an hour, they were standing outside the front entrance. It had been raining in the area, and the ground was mushy under their feet. Kabal was about to open the doors when they opened from the other side.

Kuai had tackled Hanzo through the doors, both "men" wrestling in the mud and shouting obscenities at the other.

Kabal, who had fallen to the ground, stayed there as he stared at the scene. The others had similar looks of surprise and shock on their faces.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Kuai shouted. "I can't believe you would do something like this, you little shit!"

Hanzo tried to shove him off. "You started with those birds in my temple! This is payback! (Ow! Stop biting, are you insane?!)"

Kuai punched at his gut. "I didn't bring you any physical pain, though! You had your students take care of it! You **shocked** me with a fucking cattle prod, you fucking asshole!!!"

Jax finally intervened, pulling the two apart by their collars. "Okay, kids. Break it up."

Kuai struggled to free himself, still pissed. "Let me go, or so help me, Jax, I'll make you my fucking bitch alongside that prick!"

There was a pause.

An extremely _long_ one.

* * *

"... completely irresponsible of you two!" Sonya was saying.

They had gone inside, collecting in Sonya's office. Kenshi and Kabal stood behind Sonya, who was leaning over her desk to look at the two accused with Johnny sitting on the edge of her desk. Jax and Stryker stood at the doorway.

Kuai had his arms crossed, slightly regretting his actions (but not really). Hanzo held an icepack to his new black eye. Sonya glared at them.

"What were you two thinking, doing that? You had a job to do, you know!"

Kuai spoke up. "As someone who watches over a large group of people every day, I know how to incorporate fun into my supervision, general. Do you?"

Hanzo kicked Kuai under the table, but everyone saw it easily. "Shut up! What are you doing?" he hissed.

Kuai leaned back, speaking loudly and in a droll, dry tone. "Don't worry, Hanzo. I'm just getting us out of this mess that you dragged me into. I expect a handwritten thank-you afterwards."

Kenshi coughed, turning away and hiding his mouth behind his hand.

Sonya turned around to glare at him before looking back at the two. "You two are in big trouble. The complex could have been attacked due to your negligence!"

Kuai made a huge show of looking around, even getting up to feel out the walls. Hanzo hid his face in his hands, too embarrassed. "Wow, look at this," Kuai gasped in acted shock. "The still-intact walls of the still-intact Special Forces complex!" He sat back down, looking up at Sonya with a look. "Point is, your base is still intact. Everyone is safe. I didn't have to do this, you know. So, you're welcome."

He got up, nodding once. "I think I'm done here. Come on, Hanzo. We've spent too much time here." The Shirai Ryu slowly got on his feet, not looking at the expressions on the others' faces and exited the room after Kuai.

They went to the portals, inputting their respective destinations. Hanzo looked to his side at Kuai, a smirk now on his face. "Thanks," Hanzo said.

Kuai chuckled, looking over at him. "You can really play the 'embarrassed' act really well. And kudos to you for the prank. It still hurts," he winced, touching the small of his back.

Hanzo shrugged. "You had it coming." 

They both went through their portals, leaving to their own respective temples.

* * *

Sonya shook her head in exasperation (and slight amusement). 

"What the hell?" Stryker asked aloud. "What did we just see?"

Kenshi spoke up. "It seems that we may not know them as well as we thought."

Kabal snorted. "You think? When you guys told me that that Sub-Zero was stoic and composed while Scorpion was prone to anger, I believed you when I first saw them. Now, though, it's like I'm seeing two completely different people."

Jax shrugged. "Whatever. I could honestly care less; all I want to do is see Jacqui."

They all went to the medbay, opening the doors.

The four sat in their beds upright, shit-eating grins beaming on their faces.

"So," Cassie started, "we heard that you ran into some trouble with Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Wanna know what we got?"


	2. Of Diplomatic Purposes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Outworld to supervise the meeting between Raiden and Kotal Kahn.
> 
> This can only go so well...

Within the Outworld palace, a momentary flash of lightning appeared, sounded, and then ceased to exist.

Within the foyer, Jade stepped forward from Kotal's side, greeting her friend. Raiden stood there; this meeting was meant to discuss future relations between Earthrealm and Outworld.

The thunder god followed Kotal Kahn and Jade, with Erron, Ermac, and Reptile trailing behind them.

"I thank you for coming, Raiden," Kotal Kahn started. "These next few matters will discuss inter-realm relations for the future. Keep in mind that we all want peace."

Raiden nodded in agreement. "Shinnok's attack has proved that we need to stand together in times of crisis. I have brought reinforcements to monitor the outside; I hope this does not concern you. Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang are posted to supervise the area. They will do their duties effectively."

"Wait," Jade cut in, "you don't mean  _Scorpion_ and  _Sub-Zero,_ do you?"

The thunder god smiled slightly as Kotal and Erron shared a look of brief worry. "Yes, Jade. It is amazing what peace talks can do, no?"

* * *

"Fuck my life."

Kuai rolled his eyes at the other man's dramatics. "You only have yourself to blame. You knew we'd be here for another three hours; you should have brought something to eat."

The two men were sitting on the rail post of a particular balcony that gave a perfect look overlooking the entire area they were supposed to be supervising. Hanzo was especially grumpier than usual, due to his empty stomach.

"Can I have just  _one_ pretzel stick?!"

Kuai pretended to go deep into thought. "Hmm, let me think. If I only eat twenty sticks per minute, I'll ration my food for the entirety of the stakeout..."

Hanzo growled, reaching for the bag while Kuai laughed at his actions. "Here, help yourself."

They sat there, continuing to munch on the food. Eventually, Kuai gave the bag to Hanzo, playing with his cryomancy powers. Soon, snowflakes started to fall.

Hanzo snorted, "Bravo." 

Kuai shrugged, stopping his actions. "I'm bored. By the way, I heard about Father's Day with Takeda!"

The Shirai Ryu shifted uncomfortably. "I've been avoiding Kenshi recently," he admitted. "I was completely taken aback with the card. The thought isn't unappreciated, it's just..." He drifted off, staring off into the distance.

Kuai nodded, expecting this. "You have your life back, Hanzo. Your son would want you to be happy. Takeda is lucky to have a father figure like you." Hanzo smiled gently, no doubt thinking of his family. "You are right, yet again."

The cryomancer sighed, glad to have diffused the situation. They sat on the edge, staring out to the nightlights of the city. Kuai turned around, looking into the room adjacent to their balcony, noticing something. "You know..."

Hanzo sighed in exasperation. Sometimes, Kuai could stay silent for elongated periods of time, but the one downside was that he had to get everything out eventually. "Yes, Kuai?" He turned around, frowning and then looking over to where Kuai was looking.

"I'm very tempted to steal an ashtray, now."

* * *

"... Reiko Accords should be modified, somewhat."

Raiden was about to agree when he turned suddenly, causing everyone to look at him. "What isss it, Raiden?" Reptile asked, confused.

"Forgive me, I thought there was something," he answered, turning around. "Please, continue." 

_I could have sworn I heard screaming..._

* * *

"Next time, don't even try, got it?" Hanzo snarled.

Whimpers came from the bruised and bloody unidentified man, laying on the ground. His knife was cast aside, and he was constrained to the ground, encased with ice. Hanzo glared one more time at the would-be assassin before nodding to Kuai, who punched through the ice, shattering it.

He quickly bound the man and gagged him, before throwing him into a large closet where many other people were bound similarly. They all had terrified looks on their faces, seeing the cryomancer again.

Kuai shut the door, locking it. "Isn't this unethical?"

Hanzo shrugged. "Kotal didn't give us access to their prisons. Tough."

* * *

"Thank you so much for coming," Jade beamed. She hugged Raiden one last time.

Ermac hovered nearby. "We are glad that there will be less fighting. We have all become tired."

Kotal Kahn nodded. "Yes. Thank you for coming to represent Earthrealm. We will continue to have these talks in the future so that everyone will remain happy, yes?"

Raiden bowed respectfully, nodding. "Yes, Kotal Kahn. I am honored to be a part of this process."

The group all walked out to the steps of the palace, chatting amiably with each other.

Someone bumped into Erron; the cowboy glared at the other man. "Watch where you're going, prick!"

The man didn't listen to him, shoving his way through the group until he was running down the street, casting occasional glances behind him.

Suddenly, in a burst of fire and flame, Hanzo teleported in front of the man, cutting him off. The man leapt back, terrified, running back from whence he came.

Unfortunately for him, Kuai had jumped out of a lower-level window, forming ice under his feet to slide down safely to the ground, cutting the man off from his retreat.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hanzo growled.

The assassin looked between the two, panicked breaths clearly audible. 

Suddenly, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Huh," Kuai said. "That's one way to do it, I guess."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Just bind him already, will you?"

"I've bound everyone else. Why can't you do it this time?" Kuai whined.

The Shirai Ryu crossed his arms. "Because I incapacitated him."

Kuai snorted. "Are you kidding me? He fainted after I showed up, or are you suffering from short-term memory loss?"

Hanzo glared back. "Bind. Him."

Kuai threw his hands up in the air. "Never mind. You're just an idiot." Still, he set down to tie the man's wrists and gag him. "Although, he probably fainted because of how ugly you were..."

Kuai leapt back as Hanzo threw himself at the cryomancer. "Temper, temper!" Kuai teased, yelping when he only narrowly dodged a fireball, which ignited a nearby tree.

The onlookers watched on, captivated with the scene.

"Hanzo! Look at what you did!" Kuai shouted. The pyromancer groaned. "Shit. I'm going to die for that."

Kuai extinguished the flames quickly as Hanzo walked next to him. "You know, maybe they won't notice," Kuai said, gesturing to the burnt tree.

Hanzo shot him a look of utter disbelief. "You can't be serious. Look at it!"

The Lin Kuei shrugged. "Well, if you look at it with these bushes next to it... it doesn't really look that bad. The bushes hide it."

Hanzo huffed. "It's a seventy-foot oak tree. Burnt all the way to the top."

Kuai laughed half-heartedly. "Hah hah... yeah... I'm just going to shut up, now..."

From the steps of the palace, Raiden cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Kotal Kahn. I had no idea that this would spiral so out of control-"

Erron snickered from behind Kotal's back, coughing when the Kahn turned to give him a look. 

"We could take care of them for you, Kotal," Reptile said, stepping forward with Ermac. "Just give usss the command."

Kotal raised a hand. "No. Let us go down."

They walked towards the two, still standing and looking up at the tree. Kuai whistled. "Damn, Hanzo. You really fucked up this tree, huh?" Hanzo elbowed him harshly. "Who's fault was that, idiot?" he hissed.

Kotal Kahn cleared his throat.

The effect was immediate. Both men jumped up, spinning around quickly, stumbling with excuses. "Kotal Kahn! How are you? Umm, yeah, it was so crazy what happened," Kuai rambled.

The Kahn of Outworld lifted an eyebrow, sharing a look with Raiden and Jade.

"Yeah, umm, crazy!" Kuai continued. "Thing is, Hanzo here just sneezed, and the tree caught on fire. It was crazy, you should have seen it-"

Hanzo facepalmed. "They already know, dumbass."

Kuai sighed. "I really need to know when to shut up."

Jade giggled, Erron joining in. Raiden shook his head. "Once again, I must apologize for their behavior. They're not usually like this-"

"You don't know that," Kuai cut in.

Raiden glared at him, silencing him. "As I was saying, I apologize for their actions."

Hanzo stepped forward, trying to salvage the moment. "Kotal Kahn, we took care of about fifteen to seventeen assassins throughout the night. As we were not able to access the prisons, we locked them in a closet."

Kotal Kahn blinked. "A... closet?"

Hanzo huffed, turning around. "It was his idea."

Kuai shrugged. "First door I saw with a lock. Sorry for being _so_ innovative!"

"Where is this closet?" Ermac asked, hovering above the ground.

* * *

Inside a dark room, Brachus shivered with fear.

He had been tasked with assassinating the Kahn's soon-to-be bride. It had a pleasing price tag attached to it, and he had eagerly accepted.

However, he had not been expecting to be confronted by the General of the Shirai Ryu and Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei.

Now, he was bound and gagged in a dark room, awaiting his inevitable demise. He was not the only one; the room was full of other men who had tried the same, and failed, as he did.

At least he didn't shit his pants. The growing stench in the room signified that someone had done this.

Suddenly, the only door to the room opened with great force. Cries of fear sounded out amongst the captured as the two familiar men stood there, holding another attempting murderer.

"By the Gods!" Another man wearing a straw hat from behind stepped forward, eyes lit with blue light. "There are twenty-three people here!"

Kuai shrugged. "Whatever. He was close enough, give or take a few."


	3. A Party of Royalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo finds themselves attending a celebratory party in Edenia.

Hanzo fixed himself for the last time, looking critically at his reflection in the mirror.

He had not attended an event like this in years. It was important that he made a good impression for the people of Edenia.

His sleek black suit was adorned with a yellow necktie (to easily identify himself among the crowd). He had fixed his hair until it had been combed back neatly. Finally content, he walked out of his room, heading to the entrance of the Shirai Ryu temple.

Kuai had been waiting for Hanzo outside. They had agreed that he would meet Hanzo so that the two would teleport to the Edenian palace. He leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets. 

He was wearing a plain dark grey suit with a dark blue necktie. As Hanzo, he had tidied up, but not to the extent that the Shirai Ryu was currently. He sighed, checking his watch for the third time. "Hanzo! If I don't see your slow-ass out here right now, I'm walking to Edenia myself!"

The doors opened, Hanzo stepping out. "You are welcome to."

Kuai snickered, shaking his head. "Finally. It was like you were preparing to greet the Queen of England. But, you look good, so I guess it all wasn't for nothing."

Hanzo snorted. "You don't look bad yourself."

Kuai nodded, smirking. "You ready for some fun?" Hanzo glared. "No. This is a time to be professional, Kuai Liang."

The cryomancer rolled his eyes. "Really? Half of them already know how bad we can be. I'm just trying to make something boring interesting!" He lifted something in his hands.

Hanzo stared at the objects. "Absolutely not."

Kuai huffed. "Really? You're no fun. What if there was a bet with this?" Hanzo narrowed his eyes. "What bet?"

The Lin Kuei grinned, sensing he was starting to drag the other man into his schemes. "If you take these off first, you take Special Forces supervision for a week. If lose, I do it. You in or not?"

Hanzo sighed. He was probably going to regret this later, and there was no point in having a good first impression. But,... if it meant less interaction with Sonya... "Fuck it. Fine! Come on, let's go before they start to think that we're late because we're killing each other."

Kuai snorted. "Or fucking each other. I heard a couple of your students before questioning your sexuality. It was _so_ awkward when I tapped their shoulders."

Hanzo glared. "I'm going to have a long chat with them about that."

* * *

The Edenian ballroom was adorned with decorations, but not overly so. There was a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling, with a large table at the back of the room. The majority of the room was meant for the dance floor, where the guests were chatting with each other.

Kotal Kahn and Jade were talking with Liu Kang and Kitana at the table. Sindel sat near her daughter. Erron Black was nearby the drink table, eager to refill his glass of alcoholic beverage as soon as it was empty. Kung Lao was watching the cowboy closely to make sure that he wouldn't do anything out of the ordinary. Ermac was talking with Kenshi and Johnny; the blind swordsman was helping the soul construct with his powers.

Sonya was with the Kombat Kids at the table, helping the staff prep the table. Jax had chosen to retire from his duties again; he was not there. Stryker and Kabal, the two close friends, were talking with Reptile. Raiden stood in a corner of the room, supervising all activity. 

Then, the doors opened. 

Kuai strutted in proudly, Hanzo trailing nervously behind him. They were obviously well dressed, but it was their choice of footwear that was the source of raised eyebrows.

They were wearing  _high heels._

"Hello, everyone!" Kuai called out loudly, waving a hand. "Sorry we were late, we had to put a lot of thought into our outfits, you know."

Cassie slowly lifted her phone up, taking a photo.

Johnny's mouth was agape in shock. Kung Lao frowned. "What are you two doing?"

Hanzo coughed. He was already regretting his life decisions...  _Damn you, Kuai._ "It was a bet."

Kuai, in extreme contrast, seemed to be in his element, walking over as the heels clicked on the sleek floor. "How have you been, Kenshi? Last time I saw you, I was getting chewed out by Sonya."

The blind man shook his head. "You truly have no shame." Kuai scoffed. "Shame? Never heard of her."

Hanzo shook his head.  _What the FUCK am I DOING?!_ He walked to a corner of the room, trying to hide.

Eventually, the food came out, and everyone went to sit down at their seats.

Liu Kang cleared his throat. "I just wanted to start by saying it's great to see everyone again. Let us take this chance to catch up on each other's lives!" 

Kotal Kahn took his time explaining the wreckage of homes for the Outworlders and the policies he had implemented to aid with their recovery. Kitana and Liu Kang took turns describing the establishment of their kingdom and how the people were adjusting. **(Kuai dropped his fork under the table, and he went under, eventually picking it up. He took suspiciously long.)** Sonya spoke about their worldwide focus on aiding civilians with their own struggles. Kung Lao spoke proudly about how the White Lotus had reformed since Shinnok had wiped out the monks. Their new recruits were showing promise.

Hanzo, still slightly uncomfortable from the attention, spoke of the reformation of the Shirai Ryu: "It was destroyed the second time to the Blood Code, but the third time has proved successful. We've since grown quickly in size, and are now a force dedicated to the protection of Earthrealm."

Kuai groaned. "Really? That's it?! I really shouldn't have thought that you would have said it, anyway."

The Shirai Ryu General frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Kuai rolled his eyes. "You completely glossed over our pact! You know, the part where I invited you, then tried to tell you about how Quan Chi killed the Shirai Ryu, but then we were interrupted by Frost?"

"Wait, hold up," Johnny cut in. "Is this the story about how all this happened?" 

The cryomancer nodded. "Yes! I had invited Hanzo to the Lin Kuei temple, and we talked. I was trying to diffuse his anger, but he was still tense and anxious. Frost tried to kill him; she was against the peace between our clans. Hanzo fought her off and then went after me. I  _let_ him win, and then before he was going to kill me, Frost charged at him."

"I froze her, however, and was able to prove that I had no intent to harm him. I then gave proof of Quan Chi's actions, and we made up. Done," Kuai finished, taking a drink from his glass. 

"Since then," Hanzo cut in, "he's been the worst. Picture an extremely annoying gnat, always bothering you but you can't kill it. That's him."

Kuai huffed. "It was a joke, Hanzo. Get over it."

"What was the joke?" Kitana asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Which one?" Both asked at the same time; one in wry humor, the other in a deadpanned tone.

Hanzo stabbed a piece of broccoli on his plate angrily. "I didn't know what I was getting into. Our first peace talks betrayed nothing amiss, but after the fourth one, everything changed. He hasn't admitted to every one of them, but the first one I caught him doing was when he somehow managed to replace our water systems with grape Kool-Aid."

Kuai stared at him. "Are you kidding me? That was like, the seventh prank I pulled on you!"

Hanzo glared at him. "I don't want to know. Just you wait. After you lose this bet, you're going to regret ever messing with me."

The Lin Kuei smirked. "That would mean that I would have to take these off. And besides, I won as of a few minutes ago." He lifted up his hand, revealing the shoes that Hanzo had been wearing. 

Laughter erupted from some people sitting at the table, others rolled their eyes. 

"How the hell did you do that without me noticing?" Hanzo asked, too bewildered to care that he had lost.

Kuai rolled his eyes. "Tomas and I did so much of this shit when we were younger. The basics, you know. Pickpocketing, divide and conquer, take and replace. We rebelled against the Lin Kuei, but Bi-Han..." His grin faded, taking on a more solemn and sad look. "He didn't much care for our antics."

Nobody said much after that, but the mood at the table had shifted drastically. Eventually, Kuai had gotten up, excusing himself.

"He's still hurting," Hanzo explained. He still felt guilt seeing the younger Sub-Zero become depressed at the mention or thought of his older brother. "Bi-Han wasn't the best of support. Nor was he the best of brothers, but he was all that Kuai had. Along with Tomas, of course. But now that Tomas is retired, Kuai has been struggling to keep a positive outlook. He still has his happy moments, but he also has his dark moments as well."

"Is someone going to go after him?" Stryker asked, looking at the exit door, concerned.

Hanzo sighed. "Yeah, I'll go." He stood up, going to walk away from the table, only to immediately fall to the ground.

The table shifted forward slightly, but it was enough to jolt surprise into everyone.

Kuai walked back in at that precise moment, a grin on his face as soon as he saw the scene. "Hanzo! You didn't check your feet?"

Hanzo lifted himself up slightly, leaning on his forearm. "You are **_so_** dead."

His ankle was bound with a white napkin; Kuai had used his own napkin to tie Hanzo's ankle to the leg of the table. 

Kuai shrugged. "You're always telling me to use anything in my surroundings to my advantage."

Hanzo slammed the ground. "When. We. Are. SPARRING!" Kuai faked a look of shock. "Really? You should have specified."

The Shirai Ryu groaned. "I'm never going to help you again."

Kuai snorted. "Sure. Do that, after everything I've done for you."

* * *

Now that the bet was over, both men had switched out their shoes for the dress shoes that they had been planning on wearing.

Some people went dancing on the floor; Liu Kang with Kitana, Kotal with Jade, Jacqui and Takeda, even Sonya had dragged Johnny with her. The others were watching and/or cheering.

"This was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done," Kuai admitted.

Now, he and Hanzo were in a corner of the room, leaning against each of the adjacent walls. 

Hanzo snorted. "Why the hell did you have those shoes in the first place?"

Kuai, still looking out at the floor, had a growing smirk on his face. "I asked Frost for a couple of pairs."

The Shirai Ryu shivered at the thought, giving Kuai an incredulous look. "How the hell did you manage to convince her?!"

Kuai chuckled, shaking his head and looking at Hanzo. "She's not all that bad, you know. She was against the peace, but I talked with her afterwards, and she understood why it was necessary. She's brave and has heart. In some ways," Kuai said, chuckling briefly, "she reminds me of you."

Hanzo glared. "I am nothing like her."

The Lin Kuei laughed harder now. "See?! You're both stubborn asses, hotheaded, and have anger issues. And, you've both got me in your lives, annoying the hell out of you two."

The Shirai Ryu snorted. "Maybe I should take you down to get on her good side, hmm?" Kuai laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are completely welcome to try."

The two broke off in silence as they stared at those on the dance floor. The silence was eventually broken between the two, however.

"You know, I didn't think about how cute Kotal and Jade were together," Kuai mused aloud.

Hanzo nodded. "I as well. They completely compliment each other."

"And who thought that Sonya and Johnny were going to make up?!" Kuai asked. "She was always about the job, and he wasn't serious enough."

"Honestly, looking at our history and where we are now," Hanzo said, "I'm not surprised that they got together."

Kuai chuckled. "True." He raised his wine glass. "Here's to not getting fucked in the future."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure in this world, you'd want to get fucked, but whatever."

The sound of the glass clinking against each other sounded bright in the ballroom.


	4. Playing Hostage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encounters with the Black Dragon bring forth the cunning sides of our favorite cryomancer and pyromancer.

"Don't worry, Sonya, you'll be free from your chains soon. After we kill you, of course."

Kano laughed menacingly, shutting the metal door behind him. Sonya groaned in pain; she and her team had been captured by the Black Dragon, and they were now chained to the walls with no hope of escape. Johnny, Kenshi, and Kung Jin were also in the room with her. Stryker and Kabal were at headquarters on the comms, with Cassie and Takeda looking on nervously. Jacqui was spending the day with her father.

"Hang in there, general," Kabal said calmly. "We're sending in the backup team."

Johnny groaned, attempting to clutch his side. "Tell them to hurry their asses up! My side fucking hurts..."

"WE SURRENDER!!!" A familiar voice.

The door promptly opened, Kuai and Hanzo standing in the doorway, with their arms bound. The jailer shoved them into the room, chaining them to the walls near their friends. Then, he left the room, shutting the door with a resounding "boom".

There was silence as Sonya and her team stared at the two new additions.

"Please tell me that you two aren't the backup," Kenshi started. 

"Yup!" Kuai said cheerfully, seeming ignorant of their situation. "Don't worry; we'll get everyone out of here in no time."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "For once in your life, shut up! I'm trying to think of a way out."

Kuai smirked. "Surrendering was a smart move on my part. Did you all hear me? That was hilarious."

Hanzo growled. "If you weren't such an idiot, then we could have broken in and been gone by now! But _no,_ 'Kuai knows everything! He's the greatest, and nothing else matters except for his opinion!' I should have killed you in the tournament all those years ago, bastard!"

Kano threw the door open. "Alright, shut up, all of ya!" He drew a knife, playing with it. A sadistic grin was on his face. "Who wants to go first?"

Kuai perked up immediately. "Whoa, is that what I think it is?"

Kano frowned. "What?"

"Is that a new version of the butterfly knife? I've heard of them; they're really good! Perfectly balanced, sharp edges, and big enough to filet someone with the versatility to act as a throwing knife. Man, if I'm going to die, that's the way I'd want to go. Honestly, it's just so great of a weapon, you know? I've been trying to duplicate the design with my ice, but it's still a work in process, you know? I can't believe that I'm going to get to die with that as my murder weapon! Please, gut me first?" Kuai rambled.

Meanwhile, while Kano stared at the cryomancer as he ranted, Hanzo had heated his hands and wrists; soon, he had freed himself after the metal had melted. He stood up, leaping at Kano, holding him in a chokehold until the criminal was unconscious. 

Immediately, Kuai dropped his friendly face - he froze the chains, breaking through them, and then went to help the others with their restraints while Hanzo walked out of the cell room, taking on the two inexperienced jailers.

"Let's go quickly," Kuai urged, "before they find out that we're gone." He helped Johnny up, cursing as he saw his leg. 

"Hanzo!" he called out, "You're going to have to take care of anyone else who tries to stop us. Johnny's leg is broken." Kuai lifted Johnny's arm around his neck, supporting him as they started to walk out. 

Hanzo grimaced at the ex-actor's injury. "It's snapped like a twig. Is everyone else able to walk on their own? Let's go." 

* * *

They had cleared the base, encountering a thug every now and then. Now, they were running through a jungle, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Black Dragon headquarters. 

Johnny panted in exhaustion and pain. "Stop... ribs..."

Hanzo scanned the area. "We can stop for now. But we must hurry before the Black Dragon follow us."

Kuai formed a block of ice; it melted quickly in the heat, and Johnny drank it greedily. Hanzo knelt down, padding Johnny's ribs. "He's got two broken ribs," he announced. 

Kung Jin panted. "Grandmaster Hasashi, can't you teleport us back?"

Hanzo shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. I can only transport one other person with me at a time."

Kuai nodded. "Right. Hanzo, you're going to get Johnny back to base. I'll continue with the others, and we'll rendezvous at the Outworld palace."

Sonya adopted a shocked look. "The Outworld palace?! That's sixteen miles away!"

"It's the only safe place at this point," Kuai snapped. "Kotal Kahn will give us sanctuary, and we'll be safe while his medics attend to your injuries. Hanzo will get Johnny back safely, so we won't be weighed down by him while we run."

Hanzo frowned. "It's the best bet we have. Doesn't mean that I like leaving you by yourself." Kuai huffed. "We'll be fine. Go, now."

The Shirai Ryu went to grab Johnny's arm when Kuai spoke up, "By the way, Hanzo, that act back there in the cell worked brilliantly." Hanzo cracked a smile. "Of course it did. You came up with it, after all." Kuai nodded briefly, and the two disappeared in a torrent of flames. Kuai turned around to look at the others. "Come on, we have to hurry."

They all ran through the jungle.

* * *

At the Special Forces base, Johnny was immediately put on a stretcher on its way to the medbay. Cassie and Takeda went to Hanzo, worried for their parents. 

"Grandmaster Hasashi," Takeda asked, "is there no way for you to go back to them?"

Hanzo sighed. "Unfortunately, no. I have no idea where they might be right now, and if I risk going back to the place we stopped at, I could fall on the forces of the Black Dragon. I'm going to go to Kotal Kahn to notify him of Kuai's and the others' arrival."

Cassie fidgeted. "I'm worried for Mom."

Takeda nodded. "So am I for Dad and Jin. But we need to be strong for them. Let's go back and see if Stryker and Kabal have managed to locate their positions with our tracking systems."

* * *

Kuai had decided to trail the others as they ran through the forest, glancing behind him for any sign of their pursuers. If they were ambushed, he would be the first to know. Kung Jin's strength was failing visibly, as Kuai noticed with increasing concern that the others were being affected as well.

However, they finally broke the tree line of the jungle. Now, all there was in front of them was a flat, bare plain of desert sands. The Outworld city was a few more miles out, visible on the horizon. "Let's put more distance between us and the tree line," Kuai urged the tiring fighters, "so that we can see if someone pursues us from the jungle while we take a momentary break."

Kung Jin snapped. "Why can't we take a break now? What's the difference if we stop now?"

Sonya, panting to recover breath, glared at the archer. "Jin! Listen to him."

Kuai, feeling anxious now as they had paused for an elongated time, scanned behind him nervously. "If we go out to the plains, we will be able to more clearly see if someone is chasing us, and we will have more time to react."

Kenshi's head jerked up, looking at the tree line. "We have to go, now."

Kung Jin didn't listen, however. "We've been running the entire time, and we're tired!" he snapped.

Kuai was about to speak again when he saw movement in his peripheral vision.

Suddenly, he tackled Jin to the ground; something sailed over the tops of their heads. It was a net, aiming at Jin in his state of vulnerability. Kuai cursed as he got up; the Black Dragon had caught up to them, and they would be captured again. They were too close...

But, if they were slowed, the others would have the chance to escape. Kuai shoved Kung Jin to his feet. "We have to go!" Kuai stood, watching as Sonya, Kenshi, and Kung Jin ran off, unaware that they were leaving a man behind.

Kuai stepped back cautiously, eyes narrowing as he evaluated the threat before him. He would have to slow them down to give the others ample time to flee. 

He knelt to the ground, the chill of ice from his hands turning to mist in the air. Kuai glared at the small army of men standing before him, as he formed a Kori Blade, sliding into battle.

Meanwhile, Kenshi ran behind the others, pausing in his steps. "Guys, wait!" Sonya and Kung Jin halted, turning around to see where Kenshi was pointing towards.

They had run too far away to be able to make it back in time. The Lin Kuei was clearly being overwhelmed, yet he was not going down easily. He dodged blows, freezing the ground to displace the thugs as well as freezing them solid. However, his strength was waning, and with the immense amount of men, Kuai stumbled, and a net soon bound him, immobilizing him. 

Sonya cursed. "He did it so that we could escape. Come on, we have to go back to recover." The three went off, fleeing to Kotal Kahn's kingdom. 

* * *

Hanzo stood on a balcony of the Outworld palace, giving him a clear view of the streets of the Outworld market and the entrance to the palace. 

He had spoken to Kotal Kahn; the emperor also seemed worried about the fates of their friends. The peace between their realms formed stronger bonds between each other. Kotal Kahn had announced to the people to greet them when they saw them, and to help them to the palace.

Still, Hanzo waited. He knew that it would probably take a while, but he had faith that Kuai would deliver them all safely, without harm.

Suddenly, Hanzo saw off in the distance a group of people rushing through the market. The people in the market spread apart, allowing them to hurry through the streets. With a spark of worry, Hanzo counted only three people, not four. He turned, running through the halls to greet them.

When he shoved through the front doors of the palace, Kotal Kahn was there with Erron, Ermac, and Reptile. Jade had left to visit Kitana and Liu Kang. Hanzo stepped forwards, listening to their conversation.

"Where is Grandmaster Sub-Zero?" Kotal Kahn asked.

Kung Jin shook his head. "It was my fault," he got out. 

Sonya looked at them. "We stopped to take a break at the tree line of the jungle-"

Hanzo frowned. "Why would you do that? It would have been harder to see your pursuers."

Sonya rolled her eyes. "I  _know._ Kung Jin was arguing that he wanted to take a break there, while Sub-Zero was telling us to go out just a bit further. Black Dragon caught up to us, and he knew that we all wouldn't be able to make it unless they were slowed down. He tricked us into leaving, and he fought them off."

Hanzo felt a sense of dread overcome him.  _I knew that Kuai would do anything to get them back. I just didn't take **this** into account..._

He looked at Kung Jin. The boy was shaken, and clearly regretful of his actions, but...

_Don't punch his face... don't punch his face..._

"He was overwhelmed, eventually," Kenshi rasped. "They have him."

Hanzo immediately walked past them all. "I'm going after him."

Erron raised a brow. "By yourself? That's suicide." The Shirai Ryu glared at him. "Not for me."

He disappeared in a gust of fire.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey!"

Kuai groaned, wincing as he was blinded by the bright light. His head was pounding, and he slowly sat up, looking around.

He was in the same cell that he had broken Sonya and the others out of, with a twist of irony.  _Except I'm not laughing._  Only now, he was bound in a straightjacket to prevent escaping the same way he had before. He glared up at the one-eyed man who was grinning gleefully at his prisoner.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't Sub-Zero himself. Surprise to see you here again," Kano smirked.

Kuai rolled his eyes. "Just do me a favor and skip the dramatics, will you? I've heard it all before."

Kano laughed humorlessly. "Fine, if that's what you want." He lifted up a foot, stepping down harshly on Kuai's lower leg.

There was a loud crack; Kuai gasped in pain, he knew immediately that the bone was broken. Kano drew his knife, waving it menacingly. "I wonder where I should put this?"

Suddenly, a tornado of flame appeared behind Kano; the criminal whirled around, only to receive a punch to the face.

"Pretty sure it belongs up your ass," Hanzo said, glaring down at the unconscious body. 

Kuai chuckled, wincing through the pain. "More like up your ass and to the left."

Hanzo sighed. "Why the hell do I put up with you?" He knelt down to undo the clasps of the jacket.

Kuai snickered. "Because I'm a broken waste of space like you are? And us broken wastes of space have to stick together?"

Hanzo glared at him as he supported him upright. "Say that again, and I'll punch you."

He teleported them both away from the area, back to safety.

* * *

The Special Forces kombatants were now all back at their base.

They had all gathered in the medbay where Johnny and Kuai were laying next to each other on separate stretchers. Kuai snorted. "Look, we're the broken-leg buddies."

Hanzo groaned. "Unfortunately, your broken leg didn't change anything about your horrible personality." Kuai and Johnny snickered at Hanzo's internal pain.

Everyone seemed more relaxed now; there were genuine smiles as Cassie and Sonya sat on the edges of Johnny's bed while Takeda leaned in Kenshi's embrace. 

"What was your plan anyway, breaking us out?" Kenshi asked.

Hanzo shook his head. "It was all staged. Kuai wanted us to be captured so that we didn't have to fight our way through anything. Then, from the inside, our argument was staged, bringing Kano in. While Kuai distracted him, I freed myself and knocked him out. I had my doubts, but it worked brilliantly."

Kuai nodded. "When you're dealing with people like Kano, it doesn't take much to outthink him."

Cassie snorted. "You thought you were so smart to outthink him?"

Hanzo gave her a blank look. "You try dealing with him for a full day. He may play the dumb person, but he's a secret genius. For the wrong reasons, sometimes..." He turned to look at Kuai.

The cryomancer stuck out his tongue childishly. "Please, keep underestimating me. I'll surprise you when you least expect it!"

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Please, don't. I'd hate for you to ambush me in the shower."


	5. Of the Pranksters and the Pranked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's pranks go too far.
> 
> WAY too far...
> 
> (I know I'm like, a month too late, but I'm not going to wait for another year to post this...)

The first occurrence (of a day that would be remembered by all of those involved in this story) happened in the Outworld palace.

Kotal Kahn had woken up, still tired and drowsy from sleep. He got out of bed, kissing Jade's forehead before going to the bathroom to prepare for his day. 

Closing the bathroom door shut behind him, he washed and freshened up, then proceeded to apply his war paint. It was Osh-Tekk custom to have blue war paint; this tradition was deeply engraved in his ancestors' history. He only applied it to his face in the mornings and chose to not use a mirror to check himself.

His first mistake.

He walked out of the bedroom, closing the door gently to let Jade rest, and went to the throne room to greet his closest advisors and consults. However, when he walked into the room to greet Ermac, Reptile, and Erron, the three stared at him in shock.

The Kahn was confused at their looks of bewilderment. Reptile wordlessly scanned the area, grabbing a clear glass and giving it to his emperor. Kotal Kahn looked at his reflection, shouting with shock.

His face was  _pink._

* * *

Promptly after the episode in the Outworld palace, Sonya had woken up and was heading to the gym after cleaning up briefly. However, the moment she entered the gym, music started to play over the speakers.

It was Katy Perry. She  _hated_ Katy Perry with a passion. She stepped out of the room, and the music stopped. She hesitantly extended a leg into the gym again, and the music picked up again.

She stepped back out into the hallway. Kenshi had then walked up to her, about to head into the gym. Sonya was about to warn him when he walked through. 

No music played. 

Sonya frowned in confusion. The music must have been somehow connected to her identification in the system that was triggered whenever she entered a room. 

Just to check, she entered her office, and sure enough, "Teenage Dream" started to play. 

She groaned. "JOHNNY!!!"

* * *

However, the ex-actor was having problems of his own.

The events of the Black Dragon mission were only a week ago, but Raiden had accelerated the healing process for his and Kuai's injuries. So now, his leg was fully healed. 

He had gotten up and went into the bathroom, stripping down and stepping into the shower. 

However, the moment that he turned on the water, it was definitely not water that cascaded down.

It was  _slime._ Pink slime, to be precise.

Johnny sputtered, turning the knob and getting out quickly.

"DAD!"

Johnny threw a towel over his lower half, opening his bedroom door, trailing pink slime through his room. 

Cassie stood there with her mom. They both looked shocked at his appearance, while Johnny stared at his daughter. She had suffered a similar fate that Johnny had, except she was covered with dark purple slime. Takeda and Jin stood behind them, covered with blue and orange slime respectively. 

Kabal reached them, Stryker on his heels. They were covered in red and yellow slime.

Sonya shook her head. "I thought you did this!"

Johnny groaned. "Obviously not! This is gross!"

"Actually," Takeda spoke up, "it's glittery."

The worst part was that he was speaking the truth.

"Maybe it's Kenshi," Johnny said. "I have been rubbing off on him, and he hasn't been affected, has he?"

"GUYS! HELP!"

They all ran at the sound of Kenshi's plead for help. When they found him, they stopped, gaping up in shock. 

The blind swordsman, who had spent the entirety of the night before on a mission, had entered his room, only to find that there was a foot of Cheez-Whiz on the floor. After they had opened the door, it slowly began to ooze out into the hallway.

On top of that, when Sonya entered the room to help Kenshi escape, "Firework" began to play.

Johnny chuckled. "Damn, whoever did this is _good_."

* * *

The sun shone a calm and peaceful orange over Edenia.

Liu Kang woke up beside Kitana, who was still asleep. He had freshened up quickly, then went out to perform his daily routine in his robe and slippers.

However, the moment that he stepped outside his bedroom door, he slipped, falling on his back with an "oomph".

Kitana woke up, frowning when she saw her husband on the floor. "Liu, are you alright?"

The champion of Earthrealm nodded, getting back up, only to stumble immediately. He took off his slippers, turning them over to examine the bottoms. 

There was nothing amiss...

He looked out, eyes widening when he saw the floors of his palace. Grease had been spread on the entirety of the floors, and after turning out cautiously, Liu Kang noticed that the hallways were all covered in grease.

Kitana frowned when she noticed this. "Who did this?" Sindel opened her bedroom door across from Liu Kang's and Kitana's, noticing the grease.

Liu Kang shook his head. "Who had the time to do this?"

* * *

The morning in the Sky Temple had been more loud and noisy.

As soon as Kung Lao opened his eyes, music began to play. However, it was coming from a group of people. 

The Shaolin jolted up, eyes wide as he stared at the mariachi band playing energetic music. He frowned, getting up and walking out of his bedroom. 

They followed him.

The band continued to follow him everywhere throughout the Sky Temple. Kung Lao had eventually become so desperate that he teleported away, but when he landed on solid ground again, the band was right there next to them.

_They must have been given an enchantment to stay with me all the time. And, seemingly, an enchantment to never tire out._

He went to Raiden, seeking aid. However, when he saw him, Kung Lao stopped in shock.

The thunder god was extremely grumpy. He had woken up, finding a reindeer in his room that scared him immediately. He had gotten rid of the animal, as it had no additional enchantments. However, after he had gotten rid of the reindeer and walked outside, a pail full of oyster juice had been emptied on him.

And, that was how they found each other.

* * *

These occurrences continued throughout the day.

Erron Black had found that all of his guns had been replaced with water guns, much to the mercenary's displeasure. Jade's outfits had been replaced with hot pick versions of her previous clothing. Even her bo staff had been painted pink. Ermac's soul chamber where he rested had been decorated, complete with confetti and banners, making it look incredibly silly. At dinner, Reptile's dish had been served, doused with hot sauce.

Even Jax had called Sonya complaining of his own misfortune. Apparently, the farmer had been given a mysterious shipment of peacocks, and they were "giving him hell".

This caused everyone to meet at the Special Forces base for an "Interventional Meeting". All faces were displeased, and the meeting commenced with each person retelling their experiences.

"Every room I step into, Katy Perry plays! I fucking hate Katy Perry!"

"This band has been following me the entire day!"

"My war paint was swapped out for pink paint!"

"We all took baths in glitter slime!"

Raiden sighed. "There is no point in mulling over our misfortunes. We must find out who did this, and why."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "We already got the 'why' part down, Rai-dude."

Everyone looked at him, and he raised his hands. "What, did you all forget about April Fools?"

Groans of realization broke across the group. "So, whoever did this knew enough about our routines, and must be a friend, as April Fools jokes are usually among friends," Jade said in her pink outfit.

Raiden got up. "Where are Grandmasters Hasashi and Liang?" 

Cassie shook her head. "Not them. They reported that they were on a mission to take out a gang that's been causing trouble in Japan."

Raiden shook his head. "I am perplexed. I am considering speaking to the Elder Gods over this."

Jax frowned. "Do you think that one of them did it?"

The thunder god nodded slowly. "There are some gods of mischief. Perhaps one of them did this. After all, surely no person could have done all this."

* * *

"We are sorry, Raiden, but none of us have interfered with your lives."

The Elder Gods were staring down at the kombatants with grins of humor at their pain. Some of them had looks of anger on their faces, others with looks devoid of hope.

"However," one of them said, "we do know the culprits."

All of them looked up at the god's words. "Who?" Raiden asked.

The Elder Gods held up their hands, a light projecting from them, such that a hologram formed.

_"Ready?"_

_"I can't believe you dragged me into this..."_

_"Relax, Hanzo. It'll be a quick in-and-out."_

_"Shh! They'll hear us, Kuai."_

_"I told you; relax, Hanzo. We have a lot of places to hit_ _tonight if you know what I'm saying."_

_"You're insufferable."_

The kombatants watched as Kuai and Hanzo replaced the war paint with pink, ransacked Jade's closet, throwing decorations in Ermac's soul chamber, replacing Erron's firearms and Reptile's customary seasoning. They stole grease from the Edenian kitchen, spreading it across the palace floors. They spoke with a lesser god who created the band that was instructed to follow Kung Lao, and they filled the pail of oyster juice.

_"This reeks."_

_"Well, that's why we're using it, Hanzo. Keep up with your prank instructor, please."_

They watched as the two messed with the shower heads of the Special Forces bathrooms, filling the pipes with slime. They hacked into the system to mess with Sonya using her identification code and then broke into Kenshi's room to fill it with the Cheez-Whiz.

_"And to top it all off... peacocks for Jax."_

_"You are a menace, you know that?"_

_"You know that you don't mind. You're just as bad as me!"_

* * *

 

Kuai smirked as he nodded at two Special Forces soldiers running past them.

Hanzo snorted. "I still can't believe we spent the entire night doing that."

Kuai flicked a fly off of his hand. "Look at it this way. Now, they get to feel your pain when I pranked you every April Fools Day before."

Hanzo nodded. "You're right. They have never known true pain and suffering. It was smart of you to have the Elder Gods alert us when we were found out."

Kuai nodded. They were at the Special Forces base, knowing that the others were at the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu Temples, no doubt looking for them. 

Unfortunately for them, the Grandmasters were long gone.

Hanzo sighed. "This is a nice change of pace for once. Because of you, I get so paranoid on this day."

Kuai resisted the urge to smile. _Don't mess it up!_ "Sorry about that. Thanks for the help." He extended his hand, and Hanzo took it to shake hands.

However, the Shirai Ryu felt a shock course his arm, and he snatched his hand back. He glared at Kuai, who had a shit-eating grin on his face.

Kuai lifted his hand to reveal the device that had shocked Hanzo.

"April Fools?" he smirked.

Hanzo got out his cell phone, dialling a number. It rang for a few seconds before the receiver picked up.

"Sonya? This is Hanzo. If you don't punish me, I can deliver you Kuai right now. He broke our truce."

Kuai yelped, running away, as Hanzo chased after him. 

"GET OVER HERE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!"


	6. Weddings and Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who loves family reunions?
> 
> They either go really well or really bad...

The April Fools incident had passed by a week and a half ago. Kuai and Hanzo had been punished by cleaning the messes they made, but for the most part, the others had a good laugh at it as well.

Now, preparations for Jade and Kotal's wedding in the Outworld throne room were underway. Kitana was her maid of honor, obviously, with Sonya, Jacqui, and Cassie serving as Jade's bridesmaids. Erron, Ermac, and Reptile would stand in for the groomsmen. Raiden would escort Jade down the aisle. It was all set.

The day had finally come. Kuai and Hanzo had worn their suits, nothing else amiss. As Kuai had said, "We probably shouldn't ruin this for them." And Hanzo had wholeheartedly agreed.

Kuai had been waiting outside the throne room, waiting for Hanzo. When the Shirai Ryu appeared via flame teleport, Kuai wrinkled his nose. "Really, Hanzo? A flower?"

The other man was wearing a red rose as a boutonnière for his outfit. Hanzo frowned. "What's wrong with it?"

Kuai rolled his eyes, plucking it off of Hanzo's suit in a smooth gesture. "It completely ruins your image; it's not like you at all."

Hanzo snorted. "This is why I have you. To save my image."

The cryomancer grinned cheekily. "Of course! I expect my tip after the wedding."

Stryker and Kabal came up to them; "Where's Sonya?" the cop asked. Kuai and Hanzo simultaneously pointed at the door to the throne room, and Kabal thanked them as the two went inside.

"We should probably head in now," Hanzo said.

Kuai extended his bent elbow. "Shall we?"

Hanzo shook his head, unable to keep the grin off of his face at the other man's antics. He swatted Kuai's arm away. "Let's go, you clown."

The men took their seats at the front, each one holding a glass of wine. Hanzo shifted his glass closer to Kuai; the cryomancer immediately touched his glass with his pointer finger, chilling the drink. "Thanks," Hanzo said, drinking it. Kuai snorted. "I've been reduced to a cooler."

The guests had all assembled, settling in their seats while Kotal and his advisors stood at the front. The Osh-Tekk was smiling brilliantly, no doubt excited for this day.

Suddenly, the doors opened, but instead of the bride coming through, there stood a familiar face.

"Hey, everyone!" Tomas waved energetically.

Kuai stood up in his seat, shocked. "Tomas?"

The retired warrior walked forward to greet his friend. "Gods, Kuai, it's been so long!" 

The Lin Kuei Grandmaster nodded. "Yeah. You startled me! I didn't know you were coming, if I did, I'd be more prepared to greet you!"

Tomas grinned that same smile that always suggested he was up to something. "Guess who I brought?"

Kuai's grin quickly faded. "Bi-Han?"

The chatter in the room faded quickly. Hanzo's eyes widened at the sight of the revived older brother.

The elder Sub-Zero had his arms crossed, clearly dressed for the occasion. However, his dark eyes were cruel and harsh, compared to Kuai's soft brown eyes.

Tomas chuckled nervously, sensing the tension in the room. "Bi-Han was freed when we were. I found him, and we've been living together as roommates since. Crazy, huh?"

Bi-Han turned, seeing Hanzo, and his frown turned into a sneer. "Close your mouth, Scorpion, or you'll attract flies."

Hanzo glared. "Still the emotionless assassin, I can see. Why have you burdened us with your presence, Bi-Han?"

He tilted his head. "Who is the burden here, Hasashi? I'd reevaluate your position if I were you."

Kuai snapped from his state of shock. "You have no right to say that." Bi-Han looked down at his younger brother with distaste. "I had heard about your truce with the Shirai Ryu, but I never thought that you could have done it. You have shamed the Lin Kuei."

Tomas stared at the man in shock. "Bi-Han!"

The former shadow-wraith ignored him. "You don't deserve the title of Grandmaster."

Hanzo growled. "And you do?"

Bi-Han held his head high. "I would transform the Lin Kuei to the force it was meant to be. Watch your back,  _little brother;_  once I have my hand on the Dragon Medallion, the Lin Kuei will be mine, and you will be powerless to stop me."

Hanzo stepped forward. "If you attack the Lin Kuei, you will have to deal with the Shirai Ryu."

Bi-Han snorted dismissively. "Then I will wipe your clan from existence as well. And this time, you will not survive."

Tomas yanked at Bi-Han's arm. "Stop this madness! This is a wedding. And you will not attack them." Bi-Han shot the two one last look before leaving the room. Tomas looked at Kuai apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Kuai."

Kuai looked up at his friend. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"

Tomas struggled to say the right words. "Because... It's just..." He looked at Hanzo standing behind Kuai.

Kuai glared. "You don't like me with Hanzo."

Tomas winced. "How could you trust him? He killed Bi-Han, and tried to kill you! He deceives you, Kuai!"

Kuai's hands closed into fists. "You left me alone. I could handle that, but you had no right. No right to interfere in my life, to decide what was best for me!"

Tomas sighed. "I know, my friend. But you are blinded by lies."

Kuai shook his head. "No. You may have been my friend, but friends do not do this to each other. Hanzo has been more of a friend and brother than you have proven."

Tomas had a look of sorrow on his face. "Don't come crying to me when he stabs you in the back." He glared at Hanzo.

Kuai narrowed his eyes. "I won't have to." He watched as his lifelong friend left after Bi-Han.

Johnny stepped forward hesitantly. "Are you alright, man?" Kuai huffed. "Why would I be? My brother wants to kill me, and my childhood friend has gone behind my back and lied to me."

Hanzo glared at Johnny before placing a hand on Kuai's shoulder. "Are you alright? We can leave if you want; they'll understand."

Kuai shook his head. "No. They've ruined so much for me; I'm not going to let them ruin this." He sat back down.

Hanzo sat next to him, silent. He knew little of Kuai's relationship with his brother, but from the reactions that Kuai had given him, he could tell that their relationship had been rocky, at best.

The rest of the day proceeded just as planned; most had cheered for the bride and groom as they walked down the aisle, officially husband and wife. However, Kuai was still thinking back to his earlier encounter with his brother and friend. He had applauded and given his congratulations to the married couple, of course, but he was out of it.

Eventually, the reception was over, and the others started to leave. Hanzo frowned at Kuai's silent nature. "Ready to leave?" he asked, giving him a light touch on the shoulder. 

Kuai jumped up, blinking rapidly. "Um, yeah. Let's go back."

* * *

Kuai Liang couldn't sleep that night. 

He kept tossing and turning in his bed, thinking of his brother's threat. He got up, giving up his attempts to sleep as he donned his armor and went to the training room.

Even when walking the halls, Kuai kept giving occasional glances behind him in his state of paranoia. He made his way to the training room, locking the door shut behind him. Panting in relief, he turned around, flicking on the lights.

He jumped back, seeing a black-clothed figure in the middle of the room.  _I forgot he could teleport..._ Kuai caught him off guard by throwing a ball of ice at his brother before going to run out of the door, activating a device in his pocket.

However, when he threw open the doors, Kuai was punched in the face, and he fell to the ground, quickly losing consciousness.

"Don't kill him," was the last thing he heard before drifting off.

* * *

Hanzo Hasashi couldn't sleep that night.

He was still clothed in his gear, waiting for the potential distress signal. The two Grandmasters each had a device that, when activated, alerted the other that they were in trouble. 

Hanzo was waiting for the signal.

And as he waited, he thought back to the day he had died by Bi-Han's hand...

_The two had fought, a clash of emotional desperation against a lack of it._

_Hanzo had no element then to work with; he could only hope to avoid the other's ice attacks while he tried to immobilize the other._

_There was no intent to kill on his own part._

_Eventually, however, the ice found its target, and Hanzo found himself unable to move from the neck down. Hanzo had pleaded for his life; he had a wife, a family to return to. But the other man refused to listen. He could only stare into the hard eyes of his killer as he felt_ _the pain of his spine being ripped from his back..._

Hanzo shook his head, removing himself from his trance. It was in the past; there was no point in reminiscing over the memory. He found it ironic how the younger brother had undone the effects of that memory.

_He's had to answer for his older brother's crimes, while said brother conspires against him._

Hanzo's head jerked at the small high-pitched sound of the alarm.

_Kuai Liang will not die today._

* * *

"Don't kill him," Tomas warned Bi-Han.

The enenra had felt a pang of guilt after punching his best friend, but it was necessary, wasn't it? He was doing what was best for Kuai, and that meant eliminating Scorpion's hold over him.

Bi-Han knelt by his brother's body, shaking his head. "When did you get so weak?" He turned the unconscious Kuai on his back, searching him.

He leaned back, shaking his head in disgust. "He doesn't have it on him." The two left him there, searching the temple.

Eventually, they found Kuai's bedroom, and after entering it, they found the medallion on a display.

Ignoring the lock, Bi-Han smashed the glass, about to seize the trinket for himself.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Both Tomas and Bi-Han whirled around to see Hanzo at the entrance of the room, crouching low to the ground, ready to pounce. "The medallion chooses who is worthy to lead the Lin Kuei. I've seen its effects. It's not pretty, trust me."

Bi-Han glowered at Hanzo. "Defeating you will be easier with this." He snatched the medallion off of its display.

Nothing happened. 

Bi-Han sneered at Hanzo. "I _am_ worthy of the title. Tell me, when have you seen Kuai wielding this? You think that he is worthy?"

Hanzo gestured at the elder brother's feet. "I'd reevaluate your position if I were you," he repeated the same words that Bi-Han had told him in the throne room.

Bi-Han and Tomas looked down at his legs; ice was starting to quickly envelop him. As soon as he noticed this, Bi-Han began to struggle, but the ice started to spread faster; soon, he had been encased head-to-toe. 

Tomas turned back to face Hanzo, preparing to fight. Hanzo threw down his katana. "If you are the man Kuai has led me to believe, you will not strike me."

The grey-clad assassin frowned. "Scorpion, avoiding a fight?" Hanzo exhaled, shaking his head. "Scorpion is dead. I am Hanzo Hasashi, the person that Bi-Han struck down even after I pleaded for my life."

Kuai burst into the room. "Tomas, don't you dare!" He scanned the room, recoiling with shock at the sight of his brother, frozen and holding the Dragon Medallion.

The cryomancer sighed. "Not again," he said tiredly. Tomas shook his head in confusion. "This has happened before?" Hanzo snorted. "Yeah. His student. He told me about it."

Kuai carefully yanked the medallion from the frozen Bi-Han's grasp, putting it on himself. "He'll thaw. Eventually." 

Hanzo walked up next to Kuai. "Are you alright? You should probably sit down to catch yourself." Kuai nodded. "Yeah. Bind Bi-Han and bring him to the Special Forces holding bay. I need to have a chat with Tomas."

Hanzo nodded. "If you encounter trouble, contact me." He teleported away with a still-frozen Bi-Han.

Kuai walked to his bed, sitting on the edge of it. He looked at Tomas, patting the area next to him. The enenra sat next to his friend, and Kuai began to speak.

"I know that you still worry about me, Tomas," Kuai began. "We've been through a lot of weird shit. After Hanzo and I were freed from our revenant forms, we stayed bitter rivals towards the other for a while. He believed that I was involved in his clan's death, and I was still resentful about Bi-Han's death. However, over time, I let go of my hate. I found that I was free without Bi-Han's constant hounding. I then found proof of my innocence involving the Shirai Ryu, and so I reached out to Hanzo."

"I was afraid that he would refuse my invitation, but he surprised me when he showed up. He was anxious and nervous but listened to me. However, my pupil, Frost, intervened and he attacked me thinking that I had planned this. However, I was able to get through to him and revealed to him the truth. Since then, we have become allies."

Tomas shook his head. "I didn't know that Bi-Han killed him. How could someone change so easily?"

Kuai smiled gently. "You forget, Tomas. You are thinking of Scorpion, the hate-driven wraith, not Hanzo Hasashi. Over the past few months, he has opened up to me; we have healed each other from our past experiences, and I now consider him to be a friend. But, the thing is, after our first talk, I realized that Hanzo Hasashi was not Scorpion. Now, you must see the same."

The enenra nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Kuai. I believed Bi-Han's words; he kept saying how Scor - Hanzo was going to kill you, and I wanted to save you. But now, I can see the difference. I'll try, for you, my friend."

Kuai perked up. "Does this mean that you're done with retirement?"

Tomas nodded. "Yeah. I only went into my 'retirement' because I wanted to take care of Bi-Han. But now that he's out of my hands, I'll help you."

Kuai smiled. "Thank you. You can be the Headmaster of the Lin Kuei; teaching the students and acting as Grandmaster when I'm gone."

Tomas smirked. "So, what trouble have you gotten into without me?"

Kuai's eyes widened. "Well..."  


	7. The Good, Old Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tomas's and Kuai's history.
> 
> (Sorry, it's a little short!)

Tomas Vrbada could see why the other Lin Kuei saw him as the most irresponsible.

It wasn't his fault! He just had a face that spoke mischief: sparkling eyes, eyebrows that betrayed his motives, and a voice that wavered when he was confronted about something that he had done. For these reasons, Tomas was labelled as the "jester" of the Lin Kuei.

But... no one knew the  _mastermind._

And while Tomas had come up with some of the pranks that they had done, it was not him who was the one mainly responsible for the antics. 

No, it was Tundra. Kuai Liang, who was seen as the over-enthusiastic younger brother of the brutal Sub-Zero. The others had seen him as a young boy who still took his training seriously, hoping to be as good as his older brother. When he was caught beside Tomas, they all assumed that Tomas had been the one to drag Kuai into his schemes. And why would they think otherwise? Kuai had that stoic face that didn't betray his emotions, with a steady voice.

Yet, they had all been _deceived._

Only Tomas knew of the face that Kuai had hidden from the others. That smart-ass grin that drove him crazy, with manic-glinted eyes that _screamed_ trouble. Tomas had made friends with the cryomancer quickly, becoming thicker than thieves when Kuai had revealed this side to him. 

But, as his secretive traits suggested, Kuai was a  _devil._

He was just  **so damn persuasive.** His voice lured you into the illusion that nothing wrong could happen. This was how Tomas had been tricked into undergoing these "missions" with him, often suffering punishments together. This, combined with Tomas's penchant to pull pranks, created a recipe for disaster.

One memorable example of this had taken place during the day celebrating the appearance of a blue moon at the Lin Kuei...

* * *

_Years Ago..._

"Kuai, look outside!" A young Tomas with rosy cheeks and shining eyes stared out of the window. He had made sure to close and lock the door so that no one would intrude on them. His nose was pressed against the glass, breath fogging the view. "It's snowing!"

The enenra's roommate snorted. "It always snows here, dummy. Bring me over when we see sunlight, for once." Kuai sat at the small desk, a pencil in hand, writing on a large sheet of paper. He was enveloped in his task, tongue slightly sticking out in concentration.

Tomas huffed. They were both extremely young to be training to kill; Tomas was ten years old while Kuai was nine, on the verge of turning ten. Tomas walked away from the window to Kuai; "What are you doing, anyway?" he asked grumpily, upset at being dismissed.

Kuai didn't say anything but eventually, he put down his pencil and held up the paper in the lamplight. "This," he said with a smirk, "is my New Year's Resolution."

Tomas studied the drawing closely, eyes widening in a sense of dread when he realized what it was. "Kuai, no!" he hissed. "If we're caught, they'll flay us alive!" The cryomancer huffed, turning around in his seat abruptly to give Tomas a look of disappointment. "Fine, then don't help me. I'll do it by myself, and get all the credit."

The enenra resisted the urge to hit his own forehead. "Kuai, no one is going to know who did this if you don't get caught. And that's a hopeful 'if'!" Kuai rolled his eyes, grinning smugly. "You will, though. And you'll regret not doing it with me."

Tomas groaned. His words were already taking hold on him... "I always knew you were a chicken," Kuai said, rolling up the paper.

That did the trick. Tomas frowned at the younger boy. "Fine, I'll do it, you psycho. Let me see the map."

Kuai went to make sure that their room door was locked, then the two boys lay the map open on the ground, studying it as Kuai explained the plan.

Tomas shook his head. "Holy shit, Kuai. This might just work!"

Kuai grinned. "Right? And there'll be a scapegoat for this. It is foolproof, Tomas. We can't go wrong." He crossed his arms in triumph.

Tomas nodded, more encouraged. "Okay. We need to do this at night when no one else is awake. We'll have to dodge the hall monitors and then get here. We'll 'fix' everything, and then double back around to avoid the monitors. No one will see us."

Kuai smirked. "And then in the morning, we'll watch the entire thing unfold."

Tomas got up. "We should wear our night gear. I'm going to get ready."

Night fell quickly after that. The two hurried to prepare for their task, staying as quiet as they could while they dressed, opening the door slowly.

"Ready?" Tomas whispered. 

"Psh. I was born ready," Kuai replied.

The two tiptoed through the dark halls, stopping occasionally to avoid being seen by the hall monitors with their torches. Eventually, they made their way to their planned destination.

The kitchen.

"Right," Kuai said, determined. "This is a quick in-and-out. I go in to replace the flour with the itching powder. You go in and replace the turkey with the rubber one. Meet back here when you're done."

Tomas nodded quickly, heading over to the refrigerator. He opened it slowly, taking the already-cooked turkey off of its plate and pulling the fake one from his backpack. He placed the real turkey in his back, zipping it up. 

Meanwhile, Kuai headed to the flour cabinet. He knew that...  _certain_... people came here in the mornings to use the powder to prevent chaffing.  _Gross._ He made a face as he threw the flour down the sink, filling up the bag with the itching powder.

With their tasks done, the two met up at the doors of the kitchen, making their way back to their room.

Tomas shut their bedroom door behind them, and the two took off their masks. "That was insane!" Tomas whispered.

"What was?"

Both boys spun around, the color draining from their faces. Their teacher, Hydro, sat in the study chair where Kuai had sat in to make the map. The man looked up with a blank look. Tomas stuttered. "Um, nothing, Master Hydro."

"We both went to the kitchen. Tomas replaced the turkey with a rubber one, and I replaced the flour with itching powder," Kuai shrugged.

Tomas stared at Kuai. "Ku - Tundra!"

Kuai and Hydro shared a look before they both grinned at Tomas. "Where do you think I got this from?" Kuai asked, shaking the empty bottle of itching powder.

The enenra gaped at his teacher. "You... You're involved in this?!"

Hydro got up, heading to the bedroom door. "You two aren't the first troublemakers in the Lin Kuei. I just didn't have the ability to do something this big before, so Tundra let me in on his plan. Have a good night, boys. It's going to be a better morning."

* * *

 

And the morning did come.

Tomas had gotten out of bed, feeling that his life at that moment was surreal. He felt like he was in a dream, putting on his clothing and making his way to the dining hall where the other Lin Kuei students were starting to assemble. Kuai soon joined him. 

"Ready?" Kuai mouthed.

Tomas shook his head.  _I must be dreaming. There's no other way to explain this._

Then, the horrible burning smell.

Murmurs broke the students as they picked up on the bad scent. Tomas and Kuai shared a knowing look.  _They're burning rubber, not turkey._

Then, the Grandmaster stormed into the dining hall. He sat in his seat at the front, and the students quickly fell silent. Curiously, his face was red.

Tomas nudged Kuai gently, and the young cryomancer nodded slowly. 

Eventually, the Grandmaster couldn't take it; he got up and exited the room, a hand clutching his behind.

"Look at Sektor!" Kuai hissed.

Tomas swivelled his head to look at the Grandmaster's son; their bully. His face had turned an even brighter red, and he seemed ready to burst. He too soon departed. 

The rest of the day progressed normally, save for the free day that Kuai and Tomas got with Master Hydro. The teacher had brought the two students to the nearby town, where the two were able to see outside the Lin Kuei boundaries for the first time in their lives.

However, the day had come to an end, and the two best friends found themselves back in their room. Tomas sighed as he lay on his bed. He looked to the side where Kuai was sitting on the windowsill. He was now the one staring up at the night sky.

"Master Hydro was right. The blue moon is really big."

Tomas studied his friend. "Kuai, can I ask you a question?"

Kuai didn't turn. "Depends on the question," he replied. His voice didn't have a teasing tone in it.

Tomas shifted. "Why do you continue to disobey the Lin Kuei? I saw Bi-Han pull you to the side after the breakfast. He looked really mad."

The cryomancer didn't say anything. Tomas sighed softly, turning around to go to sleep.

"It's because of him."

Tomas turned back around. Kuai continued to speak, staring up at the moon. "He just doesn't talk to me anymore; every time I try to talk to him, he just ignores me or walks away. By doing these little pranks, I capture a little bit of his attention every time."

Tomas felt something shift in his chest. He had wondered what Kuai was thinking about as he stared up at the bright full moon, but he liked to think that Kuai had imagined himself flying up to touch the moon, free from all of this.

Kuai's posture deflated. "I miss the old Bi-Han," he whispered, still looking up at the sky.

Tomas felt useless. He didn't know what to do to help his friend; this issue delved into matters beyond his knowledge.

"Happy Birthday, Kuai," Tomas finally said, turning to sleep.

Kuai had stayed there for the rest of the night, looking up at the moon with a hopeful expression on his face.


	8. A Change in Perspectives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Hanzo and Kuai doing stuff together!
> 
> Ft. Brother Bi-Han VS Brother Hanzo

Hanzo studied Bi-Han through the one-way mirror into his container cell.

He had delivered the man to the Special Forces, and Sonya had understood his situation when he explained to her what had happened. She had authorized the soldiers to keep a close eye on the prisoner; he had been restrained with specially designed cuffs that restricted his access to his abilities. He couldn't teleport to escape and was left to their mercy. 

Sonya and Kabal were in the cell with Bi-Han, interrogating him for his motives. Stryker and Johnny stood next to Hanzo outside. 

At that moment, Cassie and Takeda walked into the room. "Jin's visiting Kung Lao and Jacqui's still on vacation with her dad," Cassie explained briefly. Takeda nodded. "When we heard about the news, we headed over immediately. Dad's taking a nap from his night missions."

Stryker nodded. "Well, you didn't miss much. They haven't gotten anything out of him yet."

Johnny smirked. "Lucky I didn't have a sibling. In the beginning, you may be as thick as thieves, but then you're trying to kill each other."

Takeda shook his head at the ex-actor. "Not cool, Mr. Cage."

Hanzo blocked out their conversation; he was trying to decipher the prisoner's motives. Under Quan Chi, hatred had been what fueled him as Scorpion.  _So, what was it that drove Noob Saibot?_

The man hadn't moved an inch the entire interrogation. Hanzo frowned. "Takeda."

The young man looked up. "Yes, Sensei?"

Hanzo waved his hand to dismiss the title. "Could you read him? I want to know why he thrived under Quan Chi's control. If we know what it is, we can use it against him to break him down and maybe get some more answers."

Takeda grimaced. "I'll try. I'm not as good as Dad, though." He lifted two fingers to the temple of his head.

He stayed silent for a few moments, eyes closed and frowning in concentration. "His mind is clouded... I'm trying to clear it for him. I think the corruption hasn't cleared out completely."

Hanzo narrowed his eyes in thought. "That could explain his drive to kill his own brother... keep looking, just in case."

"Mind explaining to me why you're mind-raping my brother?"

They all turned, save for Takeda who was invested in his task. Stryker nodded at the newcomer. "How are you doing?"

Kuai shrugged. "Well my brother wants to kill me, but I spoke to Tomas and convinced him to stop trying to kill Hanzo, so that's one thing done."

Tomas peered out from behind Kuai. "I said I was sorry!"

Kuai looked at Hanzo. "Tomas says that he's sorry."

Hanzo snorted. "Good to see you back. As _you_ , anyway." Kuai nodded. "Thanks for the assist."

The two stood next to each other as they looked into the room. Cassie whispered to Johnny and Stryker, "Watch out; it's the epic bromance energy in the room."

"We can hear you," both Grandmasters said in unison, making Cassie flush in embarrassment.

"I asked Takeda to see what drove Bi-Han to the darkness," Hanzo explained. Kuai nodded slowly. "Right. Yours was your hate; Bi-Han should have something similar. Smart."

"There's more," Hanzo said. "Apparently, Takeda found traces of Quan Chi's corruption still lingering in your brother. If we could remove it, it would benefit him." Kuai sighed, eyes filled with worry. "I hope so. You understand that if Bi-Han does not get better, he will have to die. For good, this time."

Hanzo's face turned grim. "That can not happen. If it does, then it will be my fault again."

Kuai rolled his eyes. "Cut the dramatic shit. Quan Chi's at fault for this, not you."

Takeda let out a frustrated groan. "Guys, I'm sorry. There's a barrier blocking me; I tried to break through it, but the corruption there is too strong."

Hanzo frowned. "We could wait for Kenshi to try after he wakes up refreshed."

Kuai shook his head. He had a calculating glint in his eyes that Hanzo knew he reserved for his enemies in the battlefield. "I think I know what affected my brother. It was his greatest fault, even in life. Get Sonya and Kabal out, and let's go in."

Tomas walked up, but Kuai held him back. "Sorry, Tomas. Bi-Han's gotten in your head; let me and Hanzo tackle this. Watch from the outside, and observe why you can trust Hanzo."

Sonya and Kabal emerged, slightly frustrated, with the general nodding at Kuai briefly to give him permission to enter the cell. Kuai looked over at something on the control panel. "Is anyone using that?"

* * *

Bi-Han had not reacted when Kuai had walked into the cell with Hanzo right behind him. The Shirai Ryu shut the door behind him, making sure it shut all the way.

Kuai sat down at the table, facing his older brother while Hanzo leaned against the door. The Lin Kuei lifted Johnny's untouched soda that he had gotten outside, sipping loudly.

Bi-Han looked up from his hands to stare his younger brother in the eyes. He shook his head. "Kuai Liang. Even today, you continue to disappoint me."

Kuai leaned back in the chair, lifting his legs on the table. "Except I'm better than you. I'm stronger. Smarter. Better-looking, most importantly. But, now we both know that I'm more worthy to lead the Lin Kuei." He tapped the Medallion with his free hand for emphasis.

Bi-Han glared, put off by his mannerisms. "You are still as naive as ever," he spat. "I should have killed you the day you were born."

Hanzo teleported behind Bi-Han, slamming his head into the desk. "Watch yourself," Hanzo growled. "While I am no longer influenced by Quan Chi, I still feel my patience waning thin concerning you, scum."

Kuai looked up at Hanzo, unimpressed. "Hanzo. We've talked about this."

Hanzo glared at the Lin Kuei. "You told me to not kill him. You didn't say anything about denting him every now and then."

Kuai crossed his arms across his chest. "Off, Hanzo."

The Shirai Ryu shoved the snarling Bi-Han into the desk one more time before walking back to the door. Kuai rolled his eyes. "Honestly, life hasn't been much better after you died. I've been dealing with  _complete_ idiots. But you know what, Bi-Han? They have become more of a family for me than you will ever be."

The former shadow-wraith snorted. "You really think that I care? That I ever cared about you? You were just a hindrance! If you didn't keep dragging me down in the Lin Kuei, I could have left the Lin Kuei to go back to Mom and Dad! But you were too weak, too helpless."

Kuai raised a finger. "You contradicted yourself. You said that you didn't care about me, but then said that you stayed because of me. Didn't he, Hanzo?"

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster, playing with his kunai, answered. "He sure did."

Kuai lifted his arms in the air, smiling brightly. "So, then! Which is it, Bi-Han?"

Bi-Han turned to the side, refusing to answer.

Kuai leaned in closer. "I did say that I was smarter. And so now, I'll make a guess based on the information you gave me. As a wraith like Hanzo was, you were driven by something. And I think that 'something' was your need to live. To live and achieve greatness. To live and come back to take care of me. And so you sold your soul to the devil. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, brother, but you have done a poor job of doing that your entire life." He slurped from the drink loudly, again.

Bi-Han stood up suddenly; his hands were still cuffed to the table, but Kuai didn't move a muscle. He looked up, unimpressed, slurping another gulp from the drink. 

"You have no idea what I did for you!" Bi-Han spat. "Ever since we became Lin Kuei, I spent my entire time diverting the attention away from you. The elders were ready to put you in battle with me, but I strove to put you behind me. And every time you flared up with your ego, doing those stupid pranks, I had to remind you to stop. Every time!"

Kuai stood up, still shorter than Bi-Han, but he slammed the drink into the table, flattening it and sending soda flying. Bi-Han flinched slightly at the motion and at Kuai's hard eyes.

"As your younger brother, I worshipped you," Kuai said in a steady tone without rising in volume. "I looked up to you for guidance, and in our first days in the Lin Kuei, you ignored me, avoided me. Did you even think about how I felt about that? That's why I did all those 'stupid pranks' so that you could finally notice me. It was the  _only_ time you'd speak to me. Tomas became my brother, and you turned him against me."

Kuai didn't stop; still, he didn't raise his voice. "I spent my entire life wondering what I did to earn your hatred. I should have given you up from the beginning. After we cure you of Quan Chi's lingering corruption, I don't ever want to speak to you again. If you try to talk to me, I'll rip out your spine and beat your lifeless body with it."

The cryomancer walked out of the room smoothly. Hanzo watched him leave, shutting the door behind him. Now, it was only the two archenemies in the room.

Bi-Han sat down slowly, glaring up at Hanzo. "What? No words to spit at me?"

Hanzo shrugged. "I'm supposed to stay in this room until Raiden comes. But, I think that Kuai pretty much said everything that needed to be said."

The Shirai Ryu pretty much ignored Bi-Han's spiteful remarks for the next few minutes. Bi-Han quieted down then, staring at his cuffed wrists.

Minutes passed.

"How did you recover?"

Hanzo looked up. Bi-Han still did not move, eyes fixated on his cuffs. Hanzo sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "It wasn't easy," he admitted. "I was still hateful. I blamed you, your brother, and the Lin Kuei for the extinction of my clan. But..." Hanzo broke off, smiling slightly at Kuai's persistence. "Your brother reached out to me. He wanted to rectify the meaningless feud between us. I at first expected betrayal, but he proved true to his word."

"It was there when I realized why the Medallion had chosen him," Hanzo continued. "You see, any Lin Kuei warrior can fight as hard as they can to defend their clan. But, it is who knows when to resort to violence, and when to not, that makes a good leader. And your brother definitely knows the difference. He extended his hand to me in peace, and I was able to see through my hate and pride to listen. And when I did, I only then recovered from Quan Chi's influence. Kuai Liang helped me through the pain of my past. He is extremely wise," Hanzo finished, adding with an afterthought, "when he needs to be."

Bi-Han stayed silent. Hanzo stared at the one-way mirror. "After you are cleansed, I urge you to approach Kuai. Let him heal you as he healed me. You won't be disappointed."

* * *

Raiden had taken over the Bi-Han situation, leaving Hanzo free to go.

He was extremely tired from staying awake all night and was extremely relieved to take a break.

Presently, the adults had accumulated in the lounge, drinking coffee. Cassie and Takeda had greeted Jacqui and Kung Jin back from their familial trips and were away no doubt causing trouble.

"I'm personally glad I didn't have a sibling," Kabal mused. Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Not all families are like Kuai's, alright? It's not that bad."

Sonya nodded. "His family's just weird. I always wanted a little sister..." She looked off in the distance, musing over this.

Tomas shook his head. "I'm still adjusting to seeing you like... this. All open and friendly," he said, waving his hand at Hanzo.

Stryker frowned. "Yeah, he's been like this since he got all friendly with Kuai. Pretty sure from the looks of things that Snowflake rubbed off on him."

Sonya snorted. "Speaking of which, where is he? I last saw him with Johnny..."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the Gym..._

"Come on, Johnny! You promised me that you could do thirty backflips in a row; I'm not seeing it!"

"Fuck off, popsicle! It's not as easy as it looks, okay?"

"Here, get out of the way. I'll show you and your incompetent fat ass..."

* * *

Hanzo sighed. "I've done so much stupid shit with him, it's unbelievable."

Tomas immediately stopped drinking, slamming his cup on the table. "Right? He manages to drag you into his schemes with his stupid, calming, condescending voice. And we're the ones stupid to fall into it."

Hanzo nodded fiercely. "Exactly. What did he drag you into?"

Tomas grinned. "Oh, it was pretty bad. Pretty sure that it was worse than anything he dragged you into..."

Sonya, Kabal, and Stryker all shook their heads in unison while Hanzo leaned in closer. "Try me."

Tomas smirked. "It started the evening before the Lin Kuei celebration of the blue moon..."

* * *

Johnny groaned, clutching his back as he glared at Kuai. "Look, I'm getting old, alright?"

Kuai rolled his eyes, stretching like a cat. "We're the same age, Johnny. Just admit it; you're out of shape."

Johnny sighed, punching the cryomancer's shoulder as they both went back to the lounge.

When they walked in, Tomas, Sonya, Stryker, and Kabal were all laughing.

Kuai sighed. "Great. He's already started."

Johnny frowned. "Started with what?"

Tomas turned around, grinning widely. "Kuai! I was just telling them about the blue moon festival! Remember?"

Kuai flushed. "We were young and dumb, alright?"

Hanzo snorted. "And here I thought that we were supposed to mature when we grew up." Kuai and Johnny walked over to join them, and Kuai punched Hanzo's shoulder. "Fuck you," he said, embarrassed.

The Shirai Ryu turned back to Tomas. "This idiot dragged me out of my temple at night to set up pranks in Outworld, Edenia, and here for April Fools."

Hanzo described in vivid detail what they had done, bringing everyone to laughter and tears. Kuai chuckled. "Yeah, that was fun. Even if we were caught."

At that moment, Raiden walked in. "Hello, everyone. I have good news; Bi-Han has been cleansed of the corruption. It was only a small amount affecting his emotions and cognitive abilities. I was able to erase it and he has been released."

All of them gave Raiden looks of shock and/or disapproval. The thunder god paused. "I have bound him to a contract. He will now be working with the Special Forces; I thought it wise to keep him away from the Lin Kuei for now."

Kuai nodded. "That is fine. I think I've had enough drama for one day, don't you think, Tomas?"

The enenra nodded in return. "Oh, yeah. I'm completely done."

Kuai and Tomas had thanked the others before they left, Hanzo walking with the two to the portals that would get them all home to their respective clans. "Now that Bi-Han is out of your hair and will hopefully heal in his time with the Special Forces, what are you going to do?" Hanzo asked.

Tomas snorted. "Keeping Kuai out of trouble, for the most part."

Kuai sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Tomas. I'm ranked higher than you are now, so watch it."

They were entering their destinations into the panels of the portal system when Kuai spoke up again. "Hopefully, things will calm down again. I hope that Kenshi will be able to help my brother as he and I helped you."

Hanzo placed a hand on Kuai's shoulder. "It's going to be fine, Kuai."

The cryomancer smiled gently. "Yes, I suppose so."


	9. Sleepovers Lead to Fights. Always.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Need I say more?
> 
> (Takes place about three months after the last chapter, if you're concerned about the chronological order of events)

Kuai poked the offending letter given to him by Raiden.

...

Tomas sighed, sitting across from his friend. "Staring at it's not going to make it disappear," he said dryly. Kuai rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately. What the hell was Raiden thinking?!"

Presently, there was a burst of flame that startled Tomas; Kuai just continued to look at the letter, saying, "Mind the rug."

Hanzo Hasashi stepped forwards, stepping out a spark that had latched onto the rug. "Please tell me that this is just a cruel joke." He lifted a similar letter.

Kuai groaned when he saw it. "Fuck. I have one, too." He snatched the letter off of the table, showing it to Hanzo. "Why would Raiden do this to us?"

Hanzo swiped Kuai's copy of the parchment, holding the two side-by-side for comparison. "They're exactly the same," he huffed, throwing them down on the table and sitting down next to the two Lin Kuei.

Kuai shook his head. "I can't believe we have to go. I can only see this going well if everyone gets along. For us, we'll have to worry about Bi-Han. But there'll be others there eager to start something..."

Tomas grimaced. "I haven't really met any of these other people personally, but I can still see what you're both saying."

Hanzo leaned back in his seat, rubbing his temples. "Looks like we'll have to play peacemaker then. I still can't believe that Raiden's inviting them..."

Kuai kicked the table. "Did Raiden even ask me if I'd let him use the Lin Kuei Temple?  _No,_ Raiden knows best. Everything he says is right, and we just have to shut up and take it..."

* * *

A week later, the dreaded date had arrived.

The Lin Kuei students were escorted by the thunder god through portals to the Sky Temple where they would stay for the rest of the night and receive additional training. Kuai had requested Frost to stay; if things got _really_ bad, she was their "back-up plan". 

Kuai made sure that the majority of the doors were locked (so that nothing would be stolen), returning to the great hall where the dining tables had been removed. Hanzo and Tomas were standing on the cleaned floor, talking with Frost. 

The female cryomancer had undergone a  _huge_ adjustment. Not shortly after Kuai and Hanzo had spoken for the first time to end the feud between them and their clans, Frost had tried to steal the Dragon Medallion off of Sub-Zero when he and Hanzo were having a meeting.

This was where Hanzo had seen the effects of the medallion first-hand; the female cryomancer had frozen herself as the power rejected her. After she had been freed from her temporary prison, Hanzo and Kuai both saw as she had gone from hard-headed and eccentric to slightly more humbled. She wasn't as stuck-up as she had been before and now listened to her Grandmaster with apt attention.

She smiled gently when Kuai walked in. "Hi, Grandmaster." Kuai waved a hand dismissively. "At this point, with the way that tonight is looking, just call me Kuai. It's going to be _way_ too chaotic."

The four all heard a knock at the large front doors of the temple. Kuai sighed, shutting his eyes briefly before opening them again. "Showtime."

Thankfully, the people were not ones that Kuai was unfamiliar with. "Hey, guys," Kuai sighed, heavily relieved.

Stryker arched a brow. "No offence, but you look constipated." Johnny snorted, and Sonya elbowed her husband in the ribs. 

Kuai rolled his eyes. "Raiden told me who was coming. It's not painting a pretty picture, I'll tell you that."

He let them all inside, and they hung their coats in a side closet, going to the great hall where Hanzo, Tomas, and Frost were still at. Kenshi and Bi-Han lingered behind.

Kenshi approached him first. "Relax, Kuai," the blind swordsman encouraged. "I have a feeling that everything will work out just fine." Kuai shook his head. "I hope so. For the sake of my sanity and the structural integrity of the temple." Kenshi snorted. "If it comes to that, then we're all dead." He nodded to Kuai before walking off to join the others.

Kuai turned slowly, looking up slightly at his taller, older brother. It was extremely awkward for both of them, something that Kuai immediately noticed. He sighed, fidgeting. "Look... I wanted to apologize for before. What I said before was extremely harsh, and over the past few weeks, I thought about what you said about trying to protect me. We were both difficult for each other, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For everything."

Bi-Han didn't say anything, and Kuai nodded slowly. "Okay..." He turned around to walk back when he heard Bi-Han sigh loudly.

"I'm sorry, too," he admitted. "Your friend, Kenshi, he helped me look past my anger and fear, and I saw my errors. Long story short, we both fucked up."

Kuai turned to face him again, nodding. "Can we start over?" he asked, childish hopefulness bleeding through.

Bi-Han's frown broke slightly into a small smile, detecting the tone in Kuai's voice. "Yes."

The two brothers embraced, Kuai burying his face in Bi-Han's shoulder. "I missed you," Kuai said in a shaky voice. Bi-Han nodded, "Me too."

"Hah! Gay."

Bi-Han and Kuai broke apart, glaring at Tomas. Hanzo, who was standing next to the grey-clad assassin, elbowed him harshly in the side. "You are the worst," Hanzo growled, looking down at Tomas who was bent over in pain, clutching his ribs.

Kuai was about to rush to punch Tomas as well, when the door sounded again, reminding him of what they were supposed to be doing. He sighed. "Go to the great hall. I'll see you all there," he said, plastering a smile on his face.

Hanzo nodded. "Sure. Don't die on me. Your brother and I have a lot of catching up to do, anyway." With that, the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster walked away with Bi-Han and Tomas.

Kuai rushed to answer the door, holding his breath in anticipation and opening it wide. 

Out in the snow stood Liu Kang and Kitana, who were both holding cooking pots. The Empress of Edenia smiled warmly at Kuai. "Hello, Kuai Liang! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Kuai nodded, smiling (genuinely) at the two. "It definitely has been. How is Sindel?"

Liu Kang nodded cordially as Kuai let them inside. "She's supervising the kingdom while we are here. She's finding it hard to face the others after she... you know... killed us after the tournament..."

Kuai nodded in understanding.  _Even now, our shadows still haunt us._ "Give her my condolences. Dealing with past events has been hard for most of us."

Kitana smiled softly. "Yes, we do. I'll be sure to pass it on to her."

Liu Kang gestured to the steaming pots in their hands. "We brought soup from the kitchens."

Kuai did a double-take. "Uh, right. Follow me. We can put them somewhere in the room..."

* * *

Tomas stood in the hallway, keeping an eye out. 

When he saw Kuai leading Liu Kang and Kitana, he dashed back into the great hall. "Guys, they're coming!" he hissed.

They all stopped what they were doing, acting naturally as Kuai entered the room. He frowned, confused at the lack of chatter in the room. "Right," he said. "You can leave the pots by the table over there."

The door knocked again, and Kuai groaned. "Sshhhit," he got out. Hanzo snorted. "Do you want me to take over for you?" Kuai waved his hand. "No; you're way too scary-looking. You might scare them off."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Go and greet your guests, oh wise one."

As soon as Kuai had left, Tomas gave the thumbs up. The others immediately went back to word as Johnny filled in Liu Kang and Kitana on what they were doing.

* * *

Kuai walked back to the doors again, opening them quickly. 

"Sorry for the wait," he began, "I was being - "

"You will give me Outworld's throne, Osh-Tekk filth!"

"Not if I have anything to say, abomination!"

Kotal Kahn was backed up by Reptile, Erron, and Ermac, who was arguing with Mileena, who was accompanied by Tanya and Rain. 

Kuai opened his mouth, only to close it again.  _I really shouldn't say anything..._

"I'm not going to shove you inside, so please use your legs and get inside before you get frostbite," Kuai snapped.

_Me and my big, fat mouth..._

It seemed to do the trick, however, save for the dirty glares thrown in his direction. Jade gave Kuai a quick thankful glance as she walked past, however. Kuai shut the door behind them as the Outworlders and Edenians made their way to the group assembled in the great hall. 

Kuai sighed, shaking his head. 

_It's going to be a long night._

* * *

When Kuai went to join the others, he winced at the loud ruckus inside.

Kotal's and Mileena's argument had managed to drag Kitana into it, with Liu Kang looking angry as he tried to defend his wife. Jade was pleading with Kotal to stop, but he ignored her. Suddenly, Mileena lunged forward but was restrained by her allies. 

In another corner of the room, Bi-Han and Tomas were arguing about something that Kuai couldn't make out, but judging from the looks on both their faces, it wasn't pretty. The Kombat Kids weren't even there, as Raiden had limited the "sleepover" for "adults only". The rest of the Special Forces that had come were standing near the Outworlders and Edenians, ready to pull them apart if something went wrong. Frost was leaning in a corner of the room, looking disinterested with her surroundings.

Kuai took one look. "Yeah, no."

He spun around on his heel, about to leave, when Raiden teleported in front of him, making Kuai jump in the air.

"Holy shit!" Kuai yelped. Raiden frowned. "My apologies. I take it that things aren't going so well?" He had brought Kung Lao with him, who peered over Kuai to survey the chaos.

Hanzo walked over to them, a tired expression on his face. "No, really? What gave it away? The screaming, the shouting, or the fact that Mileena is ready to chew Kotal's face off?"

Raiden pursed his lips. "We must do something to stop this." Kuai scoffed. "This was _your_ idea, Raiden. Not mine.  _Yours._ Your idea, your mess. Good luck."

Kuai walked further into the room to where his older brother and Tomas were. He glanced over at Kotal and Mileena once, then back at his bickering brother and friend.

_I actually think I'm going insane..._

"Hey, Hanzo?" Kuai called out. The Shirai Ryu looked over. "What?"

Kuai grinned, a sense of giddiness overcoming him. "You wanna ditch?"

* * *

"Mileena," Kitana pleaded. "You don't need Outworld's throne."

The half-Edenian snarled. "You don't know what I need,  _sister._ " Kitana sighed heavily. "I do, Mileena. You've been unfairly treated by many, including me since you were awoken in the Flesh Pits. But I implore you, listen to my words! I want to offer you a place where you truly belong; in Edenia, where we can rule together."

Kotal Kahn looked at Kitana in surprise. Mileena's face displayed shock for a moment before she frowned in mistrust. "How can I ensure that you are speaking the truth?"

Kitana placed a hand on her chest. "I swear on my life and by the Elder Gods that I will induct you back into Edenia's rule along with Tanya and Rain. For too long have we stayed divided; it has only brought chaos and ruin. We all seek to end this pointless fighting, ushering a new era of peace that will last for centuries."

Jade nodded, standing in front of her husband. "Please, Mileena. Kitana does not lie. We can offer you a home where you truly belong; in Edenia, not Outworld."

Tomas looked over at the other group. "Looks like we can speak normally, now."

Bi-Han sighed. "It's about fucking time. My voice is hoarse from shouting over them."

However, Tanya stepped forward, shouting at Kitana for deceiving them, and the shouting resumed.

Frost, still standing in her corner, frowned and spoke up loudly. "Where is sifu?"

* * *

Hanzo shook his head. "I don't understand why we didn't think of this earlier."

Kuai nodded fiercely. "Right?! Only Tomas knows about this place; we found these secret rooms in the temple when we were younger, and after I took over as Grandmaster, I turned this into my 'hideaway' of sorts. It's amazing how quiet it is, isn't it?"

The Shirai Ryu, reclining on the comfortable couch that Kuai had moved to the concealed room, nodded in agreement. "Thank god for the architects that built this place." 

While these underground rooms were originally built to act as bunkers in times of crisis for the Lin Kuei, Kuai had turned them into a recreational area. Now, there was a bar in that room with a wine stack and a TV. 

Kuai and Hanzo had left Raiden to deal with the chaos upstairs and walked through the temple's hallways until Kuai had stopped in the middle of one of the halls. He studied the walls, frowning in concentration, before pushing on a specific panel of the stone walls. It had hissed, air releasing from the room on the other side, opening up to reveal a case of spiralling stairs.

Now, the two Grandmasters were leaning against the plush cushions on the couches, holding a bottle of wine each. 

Kuai sighed contently, leaning back. "Why can't I just 'disappear' and live the rest of my life like this?"

Hanzo snorted. "You'd grow fat and slow. But, I see your point. It gets tiring dealing with the idiots standing above us."

Kuai nodded, turning on the TV. "Wonder if the baseball game is on..."

* * *

Sonya glared at the Outworlders and Edenians. 

"Great! Thanks a lot. Because you couldn't get your heads out of your asses and stop arguing, the Grandmasters are gone."

Kung Lao raised his hand. "Actually, for the record, I just got here."

After Frost had made the observation about the missing Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang, all arguments had ceased as they worked together to look for them. As expected, they were unable to locate them.

Tomas and Bi-Han joined them from another part of the temple. The grey-clad Lin Kuei shook his head. "We didn't find them."

Kabal frowned. "You don't think that they were captured by Black Dragon or Red Dragon?"

Erron shook his head. "Unlikely. They wouldn't have gone without a fight. And we should've heard the scuffle."

Bi-Han crossed his arms. "They could have been drugged."

Johnny raised his arms, wiggling his fingers. "Or abducted by aliens! Ooohhh... Face it; we have no idea where Grumpy-Face and Snowflake are." Jade shot him a look, silencing him. 

Raiden appeared, frowning. "I saw them leave the room, complaining of the noise. They should be somewhere..."

Rain shook his head. "While this place is big, there are few places to hide, Thunder God."

Kotal Kahn crossed his arms. "If they have indeed been captured, then we must make haste to help them."

Kitana nodded, placing a hand on Mileena's shoulder. "We can return to Edenia and offer the forces of our soldiers." Since they had been looking for the two missing men, they had all had a chance to talk things over in a diplomatic matter, and their conflicts had been resolved.

Frost huffed. "We could be too late. They could be dead for all we know, and there is no one else fit to lead the Lin Kuei. We need to find where they are hiding, and quickly."

Suddenly, Tomas face-palmed. "Oh. My. God. Of course! They're _hiding._ "

Bi-Han's face immediately shifted to one of understanding and disbelief. "But... those tunnels have been destroyed, haven't they?"

Tomas shook his head. "Some have still remained intact; I need to go around to open the entrances."

Liu Kang waved his hands, cutting them off. "Hold up. Where are they?"

Bi-Han turned to look at the others. "In our early days, this idiot and the other idiot that is my younger brother would try to get out of their daily exercises. They found a system of passageways under the Lin Kuei complex. The entrances are built into the walls, and they all lead to rooms that are connected with narrow underground corridors. Kuai and Tomas would go there to hide. That's where they could be."

The entire group followed Tomas as he walked through the hallways, opening a door by applying significant pressure to a floor tile. A side door opened, and Tomas peered in. "There's no light. Let's go to the next one."

He continued to open doors; one was activated by removing a painting off of a wall, another by pulling a book off of the bookshelf and pressing the button behind it. Still, after opening a series of doors, they could not locate them.

Tomas grumbled. "If they're in this last room, I'm going to be extremely pissed." He pushed against the wall that Kuai had pressed on before, and the door opened. 

"FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID BLUE SHELL!!!"

"It's not my fault you couldn't avoid it, dumbass!"

"Who the fuck plays as Wario, anyways?!"

Frost snorted. "I think they're down there."

Tomas led them down the stairwell, walking into the room with fixed ceiling lights. He gaped at the renovations done to the place.

Kuai and Hanzo were sitting on the couch, facing away from the intruders and looking up at the TV, playing Mario Kart.

Johnny, Stryker, and Kabal gaped in disbelief.

Bi-Han rolled his eyes.

Sonya crossed her arms, disappointed.

Frost snickered quietly.

Raiden shook his head in disappointment.

Kotal Kahn looked ready to start shouting at them.

Liu Kang and Kung Lao were looking at Raiden and then back at the scene, unsure of how to react. 

Jade, Kitana, Tanya, and Mileena were giggling amongst themselves.

Erron sighed, pulling out his wallet and counting the bills and giving Ermac and Reptile ten dollars each.

Meanwhile, Hanzo had won the race. Kuai threw his controller on the coffee table. "You're such a fucking cheater."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "It was just a game; get over it."

Kuai threw his hands in the air. "You decked me with a blue shell  _five times._ How did you get that one, specific item the entire time?!"

Hanzo shrugged. "I'm just better at the game than you are. Get good."

Kuai groaned. "Oh my god. Shut up." The cryomancer punched the other man. "How do you think things are going upstairs?"

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "I thought the point of 'ditching' was to completely forget about what was going on there."

Kuai nodded. "Yeah, fair point. This sucks. I had plans, you know? I was going to do stuff today, but then Raiden comes in with that bullshit letter and is like, _'Nope! You're going to stop everything for this event that I know you don't want to go to.'_ He didn't even ask me in the first place!"

Hanzo sighed, taking a drink from the wine bottle. "At least you had this place set up."

Kuai snorted. "Yeah, I guess. Why can't I ever just celebrate my birthday the way I want to?"

Hanzo spat out the wine back into the bottle. He coughed. "It's your birthday today?!"

Kuai rolled his eyes. " _Wow_. Thank you so much for remembering, Hanzo. I really enjoyed this gift of nothingness. It's going to look so great on my mantle."

Hanzo flushed in embarrassment. "If I knew that, I'd let you win." Kuai shot him a dirty look. "Okay. One, fuck you. Two, just forget it. I've never had my birthday celebrated, and it never will be. These past years, I've been working non-stop to get the Lin Kuei to this point of security. But apparently, I can't have one day to myself, so fuck that."

There was silence.

Hanzo looked over at Kuai. "You know that they're all behind us, right?"

Kuai looked to Hanzo. "Oh, yeah." They both turned around, Hanzo smiling sheepishly while Kuai gave a dead look.

Raiden pointed to the stairs. "Up." He spoke as if he was addressing children.

Kuai shot him a withering glare. "No. I gave you my place to use without you asking for my permission; you can't order me around!"

Hanzo sighed. "Kuai, stop acting like a little kid." Kuai glared at Hanzo. "What the hell do you mean? We're both hiding in a basement and playing Mario Kart; we  _are_ kids, Hanzo. Well, I am. You're more of a moody, emo teenager."

The Shirai Ryu glared back at Kuai. "You wanna repeat that?" He lifted a fist; it ignited in flame.

Kuai stuck out his tongue childishly. "You're a big, fat, loser, depressed, moody, dumb, emo teenager. Suck it up and deal with it."

Hanzo leapt at the cryomancer, tackling him to the floor.

Cue the shouting.

* * *

 

Hanzo held an ice pack to his bruised cheek, clutching his bruising side.

Kuai had a black eye; he was holding an ice pack to it. He grinned at Hanzo. "Worth."

Hanzo snorted, cracking a smile. "You are  _so_ stupid, you know that?"

Bi-Han, watching over them, shook his head. "You both are stupid. In case you were wondering, Mileena has earned full pardons for herself with Tanya and Rain. They're going to return to Edenia with Kitana and Liu Kang. Kotal Kahn is going to open up the treaty for them."

Kuai removed the ice pack from his face; the swelling had reduced dramatically. "So, nothing important then. Great! Maybe I can still salvage this birthday, right, Hanzo?"

Hanzo gave Kuai a blank stare. "Uh-huh." Kuai glared at him. "Right, I forgot. You didn't get me a gift; your word is meaningless. Bi-Han! I can still save this birthday, right?"

Bi-Han looked between Kuai and Hanzo, studying their injuries.

"No."

Kuai pouted. "Yeah, well, you didn't get me a gift, so same goes for you, jerk." Bi-Han smirked. "You're not going to salvage your birthday. Come on." Kuai looked at Hanzo, confused. Hanzo shrugged, getting up.

Bi-Han led them back to the great hall again, opening the door. " _We're_ going to salvage it for you."

"Surprise!"

The kombatants all stood in the room, Tomas holding the cake with the candles lit. "I told them about your birthday," Tomas explained. "It was kind of a last-minute thing. I grabbed this out of the fridge in the kitchen."

Hanzo frowned at Kuai. "You bought a cake for yourself? You're so egotistical, you know that?"

Kuai glared back. "Actually, I baked it myself. So fuck you."

Bi-Han shook his head. "Idiots."

Tomas looked down at the cake he held in his hands. "Is this safe to eat, then?"

Kuai walked over, snatching it away. "Yes. It is. What do you think I do in my free time?"

Frost piped up from her corner. "Last month, it was the electric guitar. He actually got pretty good at it, to be honest."

They all turned to look at her. She shrugged. "What? It's true. We don't seem to have a dull day here."

Kuai sighed, blowing out the candles.  _At least it wasn't an entire disaster._

Suddenly, Ermac came running out of the kitchen, trailing a path of flames behind him.

"WE ARE ON FIRE!"

Kuai shook his head.

_I should have just kept quiet._


	10. Training Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuai and Hanzo have a day training the Kombat Kids.
> 
> It goes just as well as you might expect.
> 
> *SPOILERS FOR NEXT CHAPTER AT BOTTOM. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*

Kuai was sitting in the Fire Gardens of the Shirai Ryu temple, ignoring the noises of the students around him making their way to their classes.

He had his eyes closed, clearing his thoughts for his next assignment. It was important to stay serious for this, as the next training session was for the future warriors who would defend Earthrealm when he and the others would be unable to.

After favorable request, it was decided that the lesson for today would be held at the Shirai Ryu temple. The four kids had complained bitterly about the cold, frigid temperatures of the Lin Kuei, and had blamed that on their losses in training. So, Kuai relented. (Also, he'd be able to prove that he could still wipe the floor with their asses without the temperature being an obstacle.)

"Oh no. He's smiling."

Kuai opened his eyes slowly, looking up from his seated position to the other Grandmaster. Hanzo resisted the urge to smile. "What's got you in good spirits, today? I thought you were extremely reluctant to come all the way here for this."

The cryomancer exhaled, tilting his head to the side to crack his neck. "I was just thinking about how the kids have been complaining that I only beat them in previous training sessions because of the cold; today, I get to show them that the cold doesn't matter."

Hanzo snorted. "So, in other words, you're excited to beat up children." Kuai frowned. "Well, yeah! Look at us, Hanzo. We're getting older. At least by doing this, I know that I can still fight well enough to defend myself..."

The Shirai Ryu nodded, taking a seat next to Kuai. "No, I understand. Hopefully, the point where we are unable to do anything will not arrive too soon. I hear that Johnny's thinking about retirement." Kuai rolled his eyes. "Of course he is. It's Johnny; what more can you expect from him?"

Hanzo was about to say something when they both heard the chatter of familiar voices.

The bickering of Cassie Cage and Kung Jin.

Kuai shot Hanzo a quick "oh, no" face before the kids stepped into view.

Takeda was leading the team through the unfamiliar setting, while Jacqui walked behind the group. Cassie and Jin were in the middle, arguing between themselves.

"Face it, Jin! Punk rock is better than that shit you listen to."

"Excuse me, bitch? Frank Sinatra is one of the greatest artists of all time!"

"Yeah, for old people! I don't even know why I'm talking to you; you're gay!"

Jacqui shot Cassie a look. "Really, Cass?"

Takeda walked up to Hanzo, a blank look devoid of emotion on his face. "Help."

Kuai shook his head. "Behold, the future generation of Earthrealm's defenders. Doing it better than us." Jacqui frowned. "How is this considered 'better' to you?"

Hanzo stepped forward, sighing. "In truth, most of our previous fights alongside your parents involved a  _lot_ of quarrelling amongst ourselves. It seemed impossible that we would ever get it done, but in the end, we pulled our shit together and succeeded."

Kuai snorted. "This is why I prefer to fly solo. With the exception of a few people." Hanzo elbowed Kuai. "Not. Helping."

Kuai sighed, clearing his throat. "Alright, that's enough. We're not here to babysit you, so stop acting like babies!"

The four kids fell silent, all looking up at the two men with respect. Kuai nodded to Hanzo, who stepped forward.

"Alright," the Shirai Ryu started. "You all know why you're here. So keep that in mind before you decide to start something. We'll divide you into two groups; two of you will be with Sub-Zero, the other two will be with me. Then, we'll do rotations. Understood?"

The four kids nodded, being smart enough to stay silent.

Kuai nudged Hanzo. "I can take Takeda and Cassie. It'll be good to expose your student to a more unfamiliar style. He's only had training with me a few times."

Hanzo nodded. "Fine. I'll take Jin and Jacqui."

* * *

Takeda leapt back quickly to avoid getting hit by a full frontal kick.

_Yep. He definitely doesn't need the cold to do well. I TOLD them, but they wouldn't listen._

He felt the air move above his head as he ducked to avoid a high attack, then tried to grapple Kuai after the missed blow. However, the cryomancer slid backwards quickly, ice forming on the ground. Takeda cursed inwardly, realizing that in his haste to punish the failed attack that he had overextended; Kuai quickly slid back into range, landing a few blows that were lessened in power. Afterwards, the two stopped.

Out of the corner of his eye, Takeda noticed that Jin wasn't doing so well against Grandmaster Hasashi, either. His seemingly unpredictable teleporting only made the archer more frustrated as he tried to land a single blow.

Back at his own session, Kuai had asked Cassie what went wrong in their sparring match. 

The blonde nodded slowly, thinking carefully. "Takeda was doing fine in the beginning, but I noticed that he was a little slow in his reaction speed. Probably because we haven't really done anything recently. He lost the fight when you baited him with the missed punch; he tried to move in, but you were faster in retreating slightly, then punished  _his_ overextension."

Kuai nodded. "Exactly. Now, there were two things you both should have picked up from there; the first one being that you should always check your opponent's intentions before they even make the move. Think one step ahead to avoid falling into traps like those. The second thing that you should have realized is that you can, in turn, try to get your opponent to overextend by missing a hit, jumping back quickly, and then capitalizing on their mistake. I want to see you two fight each other now, but try to implement these tips into your fight. However, if it requires you to think about doing it, then don't."

Cassie and Takeda nodded, and Kuai stepped back to let them do as they were told. Meanwhile, Hanzo watched Jacqui and Jin spar with a critical eye, arms crossed sternly.  

Jacqui rolled on the ground to the right to avoid Jin's strike to the ground with his bow; she got up to her feet quickly, kicking Jin's legs out from under him.

As the archer tumbled to the ground, he sighed inwardly to himself. 

_This is going to be a **long** day..._

* * *

Hanzo and Kuai had allowed the kids to take a break, and they were walking through the woods bordering the edge of the Shirai Ryu territory.

"I'm exhausted," Jacqui groaned. She was clutching her side where Kuai had hit her. While it wasn't a force strong enough to break the rib, it was hard enough to bruise.

Takeda smiled at his girlfriend in sympathy. Only Cassie, Kung Jin, Johnny, and Kenshi knew about their budding relationship, and Takeda was eager to keep it that way. 

_Jax is NOT going to be happy._

Cassie and Kung Jin, meanwhile, had managed to enter into another argument of a different topic that didn't concern Takeda or Jacqui. They simultaneously rolled their eyes at the two, choosing to ignore them.

However, the sounds of the two kids arguing drowned out the surrounding noises.

Which was extremely dangerous, considering that they were walking right on the edge of the Shirai Ryu border...

* * *

"Okay, but honestly? Cassie was right about rock being better."

Hanzo sighed, internally screaming in pain as Kuai spoke up. He turned to face the Lin Kuei with a blank look on his face. "That's what you and I think, Kuai. There are others who have a different viewpoint, you know."

Kuai nodded. "No, I get it, but... you know what? Nevermind."

Hanzo shook his head, a smile forming on his face. The kids had been gone for a while now, and he was growing slightly concerned.

Kuai turned on his cell phone. "They should have been back a few minutes ago..." This did absolutely nothing to alleviate Hanzo's concerns. Kuai frowned, looking into the woods where the four had departed into. "I should go and check up on them. Stay here, in case something happens and we need backup."

However, before Kuai could walk a step, the two froze when they heard a cry for help.

Abandoning all hesitation, Hanzo and Kuai ran through the woods towards the sound of the kids.

* * *

Cassie struggled against her restraints, trying to free herself. The nearest man kicked her, forcing her to stop.

The attackers had come out of nowhere; one minute, the four were walking through the woods, the next, the men had leapt out of the bushes, taking them all off guard and were able to overcome them easily.

Now, the only thing that the kids could do was to wait for help or their untimely demise. 

However, the first of the two outcomes emerged suddenly; Hanzo had teleported over the heads of some of the goons, using his dual swords to kill them. Meanwhile, Kuai had emerged from the woods, freezing two attackers who had charged at him. He punched a hole through them both and immediately ran to the kids' side. "Are you all okay?"

The kids, bound and gagged, all nodded. Kuai sighed in relief. "Okay. I'm going to free you, and you're going to run back to the temple. Your parents are going to kill us if you get hurt. If we don't come back by nightfall, contact your parents. Okay?"

The kids nodded in confirmation again, and Kuai quickly cut through the ropes with a knife made of ice. Now freed, the kids did as they were instructed, wisely not arguing amongst themselves. Kuai watched them go as another goon snuck up on him, holding his hand in the attacker's direction and freezing him quickly. 

Shortly after, Kuai and Hanzo had easily dispatched the men, who were currently dead or dying on the ground. Hanzo shook his head, sighing. "What a mess."

Kuai snickered. "Wow. Psychopathic much? Besides, the dead bodies will be taken care of by decomposers, and they'll provide nutrients for the trees. It works out."

Hanzo gave Kuai a look. "Since when did you become a science geek?" Kuai placed a hand over his hip, striking a pose. "I've always been a science geek, bitch!"

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster snorted, unable to keep it in at the ridiculous sight. "Whatever. Let's just go-"

There was a whistling sound in the air, signifying that something had been shot. Kuai immediately lifted a hand to his neck. "Ow." He looked at Hanzo before falling to the ground, eyes closed and unconscious. Hanzo immediately reacted by trying to see what had attacked them before he heard the sound again, too late, and clutched his own neck where the dart had embedded itself into.

He felt his knees lock, and he fell to the ground as well.

* * *

Kuai was the first of the two to wake up again. He shook his head to shake the blurry vision, squinting to adjust to the darker room that they were currently in.

The cryomancer glanced down, realizing what he was bound in with a look of disgust on his face.  _Oh, great. Johnny was right; this is gross. Where there's a_ _cocoon, there's a D'Vorah. Somewhere._

Kuai frowned in concentration as the air around him dropped significantly in temperature; before long, the cocoon holding him had been frozen, and Kuai broke through easily, sighing with relief.

However, his friend was nowhere to be found.

"Hanzo!" Kuai whisper-shouted as he walked through the underground tunnels. "Wake up. We need to get out of here, now."

A spider-like creature suddenly jumped out at him from one of the hollows. Kuai yelped, forming a Kori Blade and slicing through the animal. It died at his feet, and Kuai shuddered. 

_Gross..._

"Hanzo!" Kuai continued to walk through the unfamiliar territory. "Come on." He paused. "I was the one who stole the mural from your office!"

Still, nothing.

Kuai sighed. "This is just my luck. That's it. He's not dead, or anything..." He cautiously continued through the maze until he found himself walking into a bigger room. And there, in the middle, was Hanzo. The still-unconscious Shirai Ryu was trapped in the same way that Kuai had been restrained earlier. Kuai ran over to him, trying to get him to wake up. 

"Hanzo! Wake up!" Kuai shook him. The man did not respond. Kuai rolled his eyes, lifting his hand back, and swung it down, slapping Hanzo's face.

Still, nothing.

 **"God-fricken-dammit-chicken-fucking-nugget!"** Kuai had lost his process of straight thinking at this point. He was paranoid that someone was going to attack him in his state of vulnerability. "We've got to go, Hanzo! I'll just drag you out of here, you fucking lazy-ass bitch!" Kuai cut through the cocoon quickly, not bothering to catch Hanzo as he fell to the ground. 

Kuai was about to lift him up again when he was thrown off of his feet. D'Vorah had crept up from behind, attacking him. Kuai rolled back onto his feet, glaring at the Kytinn. She now held Hanzo as a hostage, her stinger from her hand ready to pierce the  _still-unconscious_ Hanzo's neck. Kuai stopped in his tracks, hesitating.

D'Vorah grinned maliciously, knowing that she had the full advantage. "Give him up, D'Vorah!" Kuai glared. The Kytinn continued to grin. "No. My brood needs breeding stock to thrive and flourish. You two will be perfect for this."

Kuai gagged. "Okay. One, ew. Two, double-eww. Three, hell no!" 

Suddenly, Hanzo opened his eyes blearily, looking up at Kuai in confusion and noticing what was going on. Luckily, D'Vorah had not noticed, and Hanzo formed a flame-aura, scorching the Kytinn off of him. She screeched in agony, scrambling away. 

Hanzo glared at her retreat, then at Kuai. "Why does my face hurt, Kuai?"

Kuai shot him the most innocent look he had ever given, trying not to grin at the sight of a red handprint on the Shirai Ryu's cheek. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Hanzo. Let's get out of here quickly."

The two ran through the underground tunnels, trying to find their exit. Hanzo shook his head. "What time is it?" 

"Time for you to get a watch."

"Shut up and answer the fucking question, Kuai."

"I honestly have no idea. When we get out, we'll know."

Hanzo squinted through the darkness of the cave. "I see light over there."

Kuai stared at the light as well. "You know, in these situations, nine times out of ten it's _not_ an exit." Hanzo shot Kuai a dirty look, while Kuai shrugged in defence. "What? It's true."

Hanzo shook his head, running towards the light, while Kuai sighed, reluctantly following.

As soon as they were about to enter the room, however, Kuai pulled Hanzo back, for good reason.

The light _shifted._

It moved and squirmed until the head of a humongous, shiny beetle poked through the entrance.

Kuai shot Hanzo an "I told you" look. "What did I say? Nine times out of ten!"

The beetle screeched, and the two men turned tail, running away.

* * *

The Kombat Kids had returned to the Special Forces base, recounting everything that had happened to Sonya and the others.

However, as of now, they were still unable to locate the Grandmasters.

Stryker frowned. "They didn't bring their phones with them. It would have made tracking their location a lot easier."

Jacqui shook her head. "It was our fault. We were in trouble, and they had to get to us quickly. I don't think that they thought of that."

Sonya shook her head. "I checked their uniforms. The thing is, they weren't wearing a similar uniform. No Tengu, Red Dragon, or Black Dragon. Think that they were mercenaries?"

Kabal nodded in thought. "Someone could have hired them to wear them down while the mastermind took care of them."

Bi-Han cursed angrily. "We're still no closer to finding out where they are!"

Johnny groaned. "And could you turn off the horror movie? We're trying to work, here?"

Kung Jin frowned. "What?"

Johnny gestured with his hand. "The screaming on video. You don't hear that?"

All of them quieted down. Kenshi walked over to the panel, picking up the device that they all had, connecting them to the same communications link.

The blind swordsman lifted it up. "I think that they _might_ be in trouble right now."

* * *

"For the record, THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO DIE!"

Hanzo ignored the ranting cryomancer, focusing on navigating their way away from the massive insects chasing after them. 

Kuai halted in his stride, pointing ahead. "SPIDER!"

A huge spider had constructed a web, blocking the way through their only tunnel. Hanzo charged forward, igniting himself in hellfire and scorched his way through the beast and the web. The two continued to run.

Kuai panted. "Do you want to babysit our kids? All you have to do is watch them, and make sure that they don't get into any trouble. You won't run into D'Vorah and her creepy-ass plan to incubate her children into you, NO! That could NEVER happen!"

Hanzo growled. "Would you just SHUT UP?!"

Kuai pointed ahead again. "There! I see the night sky."

The two continued to run full steam at the exit, but Kuai stopped Hanzo by holding him by the tunic to prevent the Shirai Ryu from running off of the ledge.

There was a foaming sea below them. It swirled and frothed angrily, and Kuai grimaced at the sight. "So. You want to choose the 'get eaten' route or the 'drown' route?"

There was a massive roar behind them. Kuai and Hanzo both looked behind them, giving each other a look. 

Kuai jumped into the water. "I CHOOSE THE SLIGHTLY HIGHER CHANCE OF LIVING!!!"

Hanzo would have laughed if they weren't in such a grave situation, and he too jumped, the sea swallowing them whole.

...

Kuai sputtered, head breaking above the water first as he gasped.

Hanzo appeared beside him, also gasping for air. They swam over to a piece of driftwood, keeping themselves afloat. 

The Shirai Ryu shook his head. "I am NEVER, EVER, babysitting again!"

Meanwhile, Kuai had noticed something rippling in the water. "Uh... Hanzo? You aren't bleeding by any chance, are you?"

Hanzo frowned. "I fell and cut my leg, why?"

Kuai pointed at the dark fins cutting through the water. "That might be a problem..."

Hanzo cursed, drawing his sword from its sheath. The fins circled around the two men clutching onto their flotation device ominously.

Suddenly, the heads of the animals popped above the water, chittering happily. 

"Oh my god!" Kuai cooed. "Hi, you guys!"

The dolphins swam around the two men, chirping and whistling happily. Hanzo smiled slightly at the sight of the playing dolphins.

The sounds of an aircraft started to become audible. Kuai and Hanzo squinted into the night sky, trying to locate it.

"What if it's Black Dragon?" Kuai asked.

Hanzo gave him a look of disbelief. "They don't have planes or aircraft, do they?"

Kuai rolled his eyes. "They're thugs, Hanzo. They could have stolen it!"

The Shirai Ryu didn't bite back. "Whatever. Just as long as I don't freeze myself to death and get out of this water, I'll be fine. Even if we'll be in danger again."

The helicopter was now directly above the two waterlogged men. Hanzo and Kuai both squinted, blocking the light from their eyes. Someone from the aircraft climbed down on a ladder.

"Need a hand, little brother?" Bi-Han grinned cheekily. 

Kuai and Hanzo both sagged with relief.

"Yes, please," Kuai rasped.

* * *

 

Hanzo felt extremely drowsy, eyes closing on their own will, then forcefully snapping them open to stay awake.

The two Grandmasters had been brought to the Special Forces base, where they were being tended to in the medbay. Both had been given a fresh change of clothes and hot, steaming tea to drink to warm themselves. Luckily, they had sustained no serious injuries. 

Kuai had retold everything that had happened to them after their capture, but Hanzo could tell that he, too, was tiring as well. Only his more energetic nature was keeping him awake.

Before long, the others had left, giving them time to rest. Hanzo was drifting off before Kuai started to laugh.

Slightly startled, Hanzo looked over at the cryomancer. Kuai shook his head. "I think I'm going insane, Hanzo. We had a hell of a day."

Hanzo smiled crookedly. "Yeah, we did. With many close escapes, as well." 

Kuai settled into his bed, sighing contently. "Oh, by the way, remember how your face hurt after you woke up in the tunnels?"

Hanzo frowned, eyes widening slightly when he remembered. "Right! Do you know what happened?"

Kuai snickered. "When I found you, I tried to wake you up. But, you didn't respond to my shouting and shaking, so I slapped you. It was  _amazing,_ even then you didn't wake up!"

Hanzo froze, glaring at the other man. "If I wasn't so tired now, I'd go over there and gut you right now. But, it's your lucky day." Hanzo drew up the covers, slipping into a restless sleep easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER:
> 
> Johnny whistled, looking over at the commotion. "Wow. Look at that. Makes you really appreciate OUR Sub-Zero and Scorpion, huh?"


	11. Blast From the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Kronika was too late to restart the timelines because Liu Kang and the others were not revenants?
> 
> And what if the merging of the timelines was hard to accomplish, meaning that now, the past and future have time to catch up properly?
> 
> Ft. Young Kuai Liang

Kuai shook his head, staring at his hands.

Kronika had been defeated, but the cost had been great. Their Sonya and Hanzo had died in the process, and Kuai was left alone to wallow in his own depressed state.

D'Vorah, the traitorous menace, had struck down the honorable Shirai Ryu Grandmaster. Kuai smiled bitterly at the memories he had forged with him as friends, brothers-in-arms. 

Yet, he still had hope available to him. Raiden had counselled the Elder Gods, who had survived Cetrion's betrayal, and they informed him that everything that had happened as a result of the time-merger could be reversed. Now, the Thunder God was away, receiving training to learn how to use the hourglass, while the others stayed at the Special Forces base, waiting for the day to finally come where everything would go back to normal.

Tomas and his younger self walked up to older Kuai, both grinning mischievously. "Hey, Kuai!" Older Tomas said. "Did you meet younger me?"

Kuai didn't say anything. 

He got up from his seat, walking away to avoid talking with them. The younger Smoke frowned in concern. "Jeez. Tough crowd, huh?"

The older Tomas patted his younger self on the back. "He'll be fine. And we will, too. I just gave myself a pat on the back, after all."

Both of them broke into peals of laughter.

* * *

The Special Forces, both of the past and present, stood in a side of the room, watching with amusement at the sight before them.

The younger versions of Scorpion and Sub-Zero, who had worked together temporary to defeat Kronika, were now at each other's throats again. Scorpion had removed his cowl and mask, and the younger Kuai his mask.

Johnny whistled, looking over at the commotion. "Wow. Look at that. Makes you really appreciate OUR Sub-Zero and Scorpion, huh?"

Cassie cleared her throat. "Dad, Grandmaster Hasashi is dead..."

Johnny chuckled sheepishly, lowering his head in shame. "Sorry..."

Both Strykers rolled their eyes simultaneously at the ex-actor. The older Jax shook his head, keeping his gaze on the argument. "If those two start something, I'll pull them apart." His younger counterpart nodded, confirming his aid in the matter.

Suddenly, their current Kuai Liang entered the room, looking depressed as hell. Jacqui winced at the sight. "Damn. He looks like he wants to kill himself."

The young Kabal's eyes widened. "Jeez, that's dark."

The older Kuai took in the scene of his younger self and younger Scorpion. Bi-Han moved to comfort his younger brother, but the younger Sonya held him back. "Don't. He needs to do this himself." She spoke with certain knowledge and Bi-Han relented.

At that moment, older Kuai walked in between the two, catching them both off guard, and grabbed them both by the ears.

All observing eyes widening in shock and wonder as older Kuai proceded to drag the two protesting younger men out of the room. The room erupted into laughter. 

"Wow," Cassie said, wiping her eyes. "That's something you don't see every day, huh?"

"We should probably follow them to make sure that nothing happens," Older Kabal suggested.

* * *

The moment Kuai had walked into the room and saw what was happening concerning his younger self, he felt anger mounting within him.

Finally, he couldn't take it, dragging the two out by the ear as the elders in the Lin Kuei had done to him when he was younger. He brought them both outside of the building and lost his cool.

"You both need to SHUT THE HELL UP!" he roared.

Both of them stared in shock. From behind, the rest of the Special Forces came out of the building. The Edenians and Outworlders were already outside, sitting in the benches and enjoying the nice weather. All widened eyes were on them.

"I don't get it. YOU," Kuai continued, addressing Scorpion, "hate younger me because I, what? I didn't kill your family or your clan. I was not involved in anything. So, why the FUCK are you trying to kill him?"

"And YOU," Kuai turned, addressing his younger self, "I get it. He killed Bi-Han, and you hate him for that. But, I mean, let's face it. Bi-Han was an ASSHOLE."

Bi-Han, standing on the steps, crossed his arms grumpily.

"There is literally NO POINT in fighting amongst yourselves. So, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASSES, SHUT UP, and ACT LIKE REAL MEN!!!"Kuai panted, an angry, crazed glint in his eyes.

All observers, including the younger Sub-Zero and Scorpion, were transfixed at the sight before them.

Older Kuai walked away, yelling in frustration and punching a hole through a nearby tree. "Jesus fucking Christ! I mean, what the FUCK?! My best friend is DEAD, and younger me and younger him are being absolute FUCKING IDIOTS! What the hell are we doing? God-fricken-shit-cock-bitcheloid-phucking-stupid-... ARRGH!!!"

He started kicking away at the ground. 

Bi-Han sighed, walking up to comfort his younger brother. "Kuai, come on. Cool down, and no pun intended. You're not like this-"

Kuai spun on his heel, pointing a finger at Bi-Han. "Oh, no. No, you don't, you fucking cocksucker. Absolutely not. No, you don't get to tell me what to FUCKING do. You fucking suck! Everyone here FUCKING SUCKS! And what the hell do you mean, 'I'm not usually like this', huh? **YOU DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL, BITCH!** "

Bi-Han sighed, starting to feel frustrated. "Look. I'm going to get you to the medbay. You can rest there, okay?" He reached out a hand to grab Kuai, but the cryomancer swatted it away. "Fuck off, Bi-Han! I'm NOT in the mood."

His older brother glared, done with being kind. "Alright, you little punk! Come on, right now!"

Kuai dodged his grab, throwing his whole weight behind his fist, as he drove it into his brother's face.

Bi-Han stumbled backwards from the punch, falling on his back, unconscious.

Kuai pointed at his unconscious older brother. "SEE! You don't OWN me, Bi-Han! FUCK YOU!"

Both older and younger Tomas had arrived as well, and the older version of him went to try and calm Kuai. 

"No," Kuai hissed, glaring at his friend. "Did you see what I did? I'll do you _so_ much worse, Tomas. Do you understand? **I. WILL. FUCK. YOU. UP!** "

The younger Scorpion was disturbed, yet slightly sympathetic. After all, the older Kuai was doing this because he was mourning the older him, was he not?

"Dumbasses-stupid-fucking-assholes-bitching-" Kuai continued to rant without context.

Finally, he glared at the two people he had addressed in the beginning, walking over to them. 

"Listen here, you two. If I EVER, and I mean EVER, find you two arguing like little BITCHES again, I will show you the MEANING, of what it means to be a BITCH. Understand?!"

The two nodded just for the sake of appeasing the older cryomancer. He stormed off, huffing angrily.

Younger Johnny cackled. "I've caught the entire thing on video, too!"

* * *

Older Kuai had returned to the Lin Kuei temple temporarily to rest in a familiar and welcoming environment while the others stayed at the Special Forces base.

Raiden had arrived less than a week later, a smile on his face. "Hello, everybody! I have received and completed the training given by the Elder Gods. I now have the ability to use the hourglass. I tried a test run, and have succeeded. 

From behind the Thunder God, Sonya ran, embracing her Johnny. 

"Oh, gods." The ex-actor wept in relief. "I thought I'd never see you again, honey."

Sonya chuckled, feeling tears welling in her eyes. "I missed you, too, Johnny."

Cassie joined in on the embrace, and the family wept in happiness.

Meanwhile, the older Hanzo had also stepped forwards, taking in the scene with a smile. Bi-Han stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Where's Kuai?" Hanzo asked with a frown.

Bi-Han coughed, and Hanzo noticed the black eye on the other man's face. "Yeah, about that... you need to watch this, first."

* * *

Word had been sent to Kuai about a few minutes ago about the revival of their friends. The cryomancer had yet to come through the portals, and the others waited in apprehension.

Less than five minutes later, the cryomancer stepped through, scanning the crowd in a dishevelled manner. Hanzo stepped forward, a lopsided grin on his face. "Guess I got a one-up, huh?"

Kuai shook his head, pointing at him. "Oh, no. Don't you start, you prick. You didn't have to deal with our younger idiots."

Hanzo rolled his eyes. "Right. I saw the video; you wanna stop acting like a little whining bitch, or do you wanna wait to do that tomorrow?"

There was a pause of apprehension.

Slowly, a grin grew on Kuai's face. "Dammit, you asshole." He hugged Hanzo. "I was really trying to be mad at you, but you just had to go and ruin it, didn't you?"

Hanzo snorted. "Sorry for not keeping you mad. The others filled me in on what happened, but what happened with you?" The two Grandmasters walked away, Kuai chatting energetically again.

Older Kung Lao sighed. "The Dynamic Duo, back together again."

Younger Jax frowned in confusion at the older versions' faces of dread. "What? I thought you'd be happy for them."

Older Sonya sighed. "You have no idea what kinds of trouble they've gotten into, and done to us."

Cassie gestured with her hand. "Something tells me that they'll be able to see that later on..."

* * *

Raiden had told them all that the process to separate the timelines was a gruelling and long process. He advised them to get used to each other as he went to work.

This brought back a familiar routine.

Older Sonya had walked into the kitchen where many of the others had already been, eating and talking. She immediately went to the coffee machine, hitting a button to start brewing the coffee.

The machine made a few grinding noises and then proceded to spurt coffee in Older Sonya's face.

Everyone watched in shock. Older Johnny and Jax rushed to help her shut it off. Older Sonya glared at Johnny, who shook his head.

"HANZO AND KUAI!"

Hanzo was present, struggling to keep a straight face. Sonya, drenched in coffee, walked over to him angrily. "Yes, General?" Hanzo asked.

Sonya growled. "Where is your partner-in-crime?" Hanzo frowned. "Who, Kuai? What makes you think that he had a part in this?"

Around the room, the older versions of the kombatants piped up.

"HE'S ALWAYS WITH YOU!"

"Kuai's the one who does the technological stuff..."

"He's the one who comes up with everything. You just help him."

"Don't even try to dissuade us."

Hanzo raised his hands in the air in surrender. "Alright, fine. He ran off somewhere; Sonya, before you go to maul him, may I remind you that coffee is a sticky substance when it dries?"

The general frowned. "What?" Hanzo pointed above her, and she looked up, realizing that she was under the ceiling fan. 

"GERONIMO!" Kuai shouted, glee evident in his tone. He flicked the switch, and the fan spun. Flour cascaded downwards, and everyone was covered in flour. 

"Hurry up, Hanzo!" Kuai urged. "She looks pissed. Well, I think she's pissed. I can't tell if she is under all that flour."

Hanzo chuckled, running out of the crime scene after Kuai.

Scorpion and younger Kuai were stunned at what had happened.

Older Kabal cleared his throat. "So, yeah. Until Raiden is done with his thing, I'd advise you to check your showerheads, toothpaste, food, beds, chairs, tables, anywhere you sit, and a lot of other things as well. Welcome to our life."

* * *

Kuai and Hanzo continued to terrorize everyone that week.

They became an unstoppable force, running constant pranks on the others. Replacing the water in the systems with orange juice, chairs with legs that snapped when someone would sit down on them, beds rigged with a mechanism that sprung the mattress off when someone sat or lay down.

It was a _nightmare._

After another prank that had managed to target everyone (involving activating the sprinklers on the ceiling, only the water was replaced with sardine juice), everyone was done.

"We need to do something," younger Stryker said, shaking out the fish juice. 

Older Tomas shook his head. "Kuai is a mastermind. We did this stuff when we were younger. He's a god of pranking."

Suddenly, Older Sonya had a glint in her eyes. "What if we had a mastermind of our own?"

Younger Johnny shook his head. "Sorry, babe. I couldn't think of dreaming this stuff..."

Younger Tomas shook his head. "No, idiot. She's talking about  _him._ "

All heads turned to where Tomas was pointing.

Younger Kuai sighed under the gazes of all the others. "Fuck me and my life."

* * *

They had all assembled in the conference room at night when Kuai and Hanzo were sleeping.

"Alright," younger Kuai had started. "The first thing to do when going about this is knowing their schedule. What do they do at this point in the day?"

Younger Liu Kang frowned. "Really?"

Younger Kuai sighed. "Yeah. I do this all the time; I'd bet my life that older me does the same. Let's see... in the morning, don't they both walk in the gardens?"

There were several nods. Younger Kuai went to the whiteboard, drawing a basic layout of the garden in a birds-eye-view. 

Young Tomas snorted. "Memories. Remember all the plans you drew out for us, Kuai?" The young cryomancer sighed. "Shut up, Tomas."

They continued to plan together for the rest of the night.

* * *

The next morning, everything happened as was inscribed in the plan.

Older Kuai and Hanzo had woken up early, going to the gardens to walk and chat.

The others watched from afar, careful to keep out of sight. The two victims were approaching the area where the trap was located.

Cassie, both Johnnys, and Jacqui had their phones out, ready to record. However, when the two Grandmasters got to that point in the path, they did something out of the ordinary.

Kuai stepped to the left, Hanzo to the right. They avoided the trap  _entirely._

Everyone groaned in disappointment. "What the fuck?" Older Stryker was incredulous. "We planned everything perfectly!"

Kuai and Hanzo walked to them. "You know, Hanzo," Kuai was saying, "it's good to know how to plan a prank. But the thing that you have to realize, is that you always need to make sure that NO ONE finds out your plans!"

Hanzo snorted. "In our case, we just stayed up all night, watching them through the air vents."

Kuai snickered. "It's amazing how big they are."

The two left the area, leaving the other frustrated kombatants. 

Younger Kuai waved a hand. "I'm out. Fuck older me."

* * *

At last, the kombatants all found themselves before Raiden, wielding the hourglass.

Goodbyes were exchanged, most accompanied with hugs. Hanzo walked over to his younger self and younger Kuai.

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster sighed. "Look. I was going to chastize you both, but I think that Kuai did that just fine."

The two shifted uncomfortably.

Hanzo tried to resist the urge to grin. "I know that you don't have many reasons to want to be 'best friends', alright? And I'm not forcing anything. But, you saw how we are. Honestly, even with his childish antics, I can soundly say that I couldn't think of another person I'd want to watch my back than Kuai. I just want you to try. Give it a week. Talk it out. It's definitely worth it, trust me."

And then, with a wave of his hands, Raiden sent their past selves back home. They disappeared, fading away as the sand was carried off by the wind.

Kuai walked over to Hanzo, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad that this is over. Now, maybe we can just live a semi-normal life."

Hanzo laughed. "Kuai Liang. When have our lives ever been normal?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved the MK11 story!!!


	12. The Joys of Childhood (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When magic hits, it hits HARD...

"Watch out!"

"On your left, Cage! YOUR LEFT!"

The sounds of the battle waged heavily in the open grounds. The Special Forces base had come under attack by the Black Dragon; the criminal organization was attempting to obtain more weapons while being able to spite their long-time enemy. As a result, they were suffering heavy losses until their reinforcements had arrived.

Hanzo and Kuai were fighting back-to-back, fending off the Black Dragon from entering the complex. Kuai shouted over the chaos around them.

"Just another Tuesday for us, isn't that right, Hanzo?"

The Shirai Ryu threw his kunai; it found its target, and he drew in the enemy as Kuai formed his Kori Blade and decapitated the hooked goon. 

"Just focus on what's at hand," Hanzo warned. He kicked another Black Dragon away from him.

From their comms, Takeda spoke up again. "Watch out! I think that there's a sorcerer on the field, one we haven't encountered yet."

Kuai briefly acknowledged the young man's comment, dispatching two other men. 

At last, their forces seemed to be winning the fight. The Black Dragon fighters were visibly retreating from the scene, and Hanzo and Kuai rushed to ensure that they were gone.

Finally, they had managed to cut down the last of the deserters, and everyone grouped together in the middle. 

Kuai grinned at the sight of the others rejoicing their victory, but he still felt unsettled. He still felt in danger and kept his guard up, standing away from the group.

Unfortunately, his instinct proved to be not without reason, as he saw something from the corner of his eye. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster spun quickly, about to freeze the lone assailant, when the figure raised their hands, pointing at someone in the crowd.

Cursing internally, Kuai realized that he wouldn't be able to stop the sorcerer in time, and so he rushed to the group. "GET DOWN!" He rushed at the intended target, tackling them to the ground.

The enemy sorcerer had managed to complete their incantation, however, and a burst of orange light glowed from his palms, the beam travelling towards the group. It struck Kuai in the back.

Cassie drew her twin pistols out, shooting at the person on instinct. The sorcerer fell to the ground, dead.

Hanzo, whom Kuai had tackled to save from the attack, pushed the cryomancer off. Luckily, Kuai had not been killed, and got back on his feet, albeit shakily. Hanzo frowned in concern. "Are you okay? What did he do?"

Kuai raised a hand, clutching his head. "I don't know. I don't feel like anything's changed... I've got a bad headache, though."

Kenshi grimaced. "We should see Raiden in the morning to make sure that it isn't life-threatening. For now, get some rest. I'm sure that you are all tired after what happened today."

* * *

Hanzo and Kuai had returned to their respective temples, promising to return to the Special Forces so that they could counsel Raiden in the morning. 

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster had quickly undressed, eager to rest for the night. His thoughts still lingered on Kuai's actions that day. He felt guilty that he had let his guard down, allowing someone else to almost strike him. He also felt guilty that this forced Kuai to take the hit for him.

Looking at the clock posted on the wall, Hanzo was taken aback when he saw that much time had passed since he sat down and pondered over today's events. He closed his eyes, about to drift off to sleep...

when his phone buzzed.

Hanzo groaned, throwing the sheets off and walking to the table, turning on the phone. He squinted in the light, frowning when he read the text. It had been sent to a group message, written by Bi-Han himself, who almost never used his phone to contact anyone other than Kuai or Tomas.

_Everyone. Sky Temple. NOW. No questions._

Hanzo cursed, going to don his outfit again.

_So much for a good night's sleep..._

* * *

Hanzo stood grumpily at the front doors of the Sky Temple, arms crossed.

With his abilities, he had been able to teleport easily and quickly, making him the first to arrive. He was waiting on the others, the rain beginning to pour.

Suddenly, a portal manifested nearby, and Liu Kang, Kitana, Mileena and Sindel walked out. They greeted Hanzo happily, with Liu Kang shaking his hand and the women hugging him.

The Champion of Earthrealm frowned. "Do you know what's going on?"

Hanzo shook his head. "I think it may have something to do with what happened earlier today." He recounted the details of what had happened in the fight, and Kitana pursed her lips in worry.

"I hope that it isn't anything too serious. My mother knows things about ancient magic; if there's anything we can do to help, we will do it to the best of our ability," the Co-Empress of Edenia promised.

Hanzo nodded. "How have you been settling in, Mileena?"

The other empress nodded in a friendly tone. "I've been doing better. Kitana has helped me dissolve some of my more violent tendencies, and we are talking about a way to get rid of my Tarkatan half. Sindel thinks she can help with that."

Suddenly, a similar portal appeared, and the Special Forces group came through. The Kombat Kids were not with them, and Stryker quickly explained that they were letting them rest.

Raiden finally appeared, lightning crackling around him. "Please, come inside. I am thankful that you were able to make it."

He led them through the halls, finally bringing them all into a room where Bi-Han, Tomas, Kung Lao, and even Frost were waiting, a hidden object under a white sheet behind them.

Tomas seemed ready to cry out of joy seeing them. "Oh, thank the gods! I have no idea how this happened; one minute, he was fine. The next, he just-"

Frost cut him off. "Um, maybe we should  _show_ them what happened?"

Bi-Han wordlessly walked over to the object, throwing off the sheet in a dramatic gesture.

There was a cage, with nothing inside.

Bi-Han stared at the empty cage in disbelief. Tomas was openly gaping. Frost was trying not to laugh.

The others were confused and fed up with being woken this early. 

"I'm going back to sleep if that's all," Johnny said, turning to walk out the doors.

The Lin Kuei shouted at him to stop, but he opened the doors, prepared to leave.

However, the person outside made him pause.

A young boy with jet-black hair and warm brown eyes stared up at Johnny. The ex-actor blinked. "Uh... Raiden? Since when did the White Lotus start inducting kids?"

Bi-Han pushed past the other kombatants, standing next to Johnny. He got down to his knees, eye-level with the young boy.

"Hi there," Bi-Han said. He reached out a hand in comfort, and the young boy frowned at it in distrust. "Come with me," Bi-Han urged. "I can help you. You just need to listen to me."

The young boy stepped forward, not saying a word, but eventually got close to Bi-Han. He sighed in relief. "Thank-"

Suddenly, the kid drew a knife from Bi-Han's boot, stabbing it into Bi-Han's leg. He fell to the ground in pain.

Johnny tried to grab the boy. "Whoa! Calm down-"

However, the kid ducked under Johnny's attempt to grab him, kicking him in-between his legs. Johnny wheezed, clutching his crotch.

"No... fair. That's... my move."

The kid had disappeared, running away. Tomas rushed out into the hallways, cursing out loud. "We have to get him!" he waved wildly.

Kabal shook his head in confusion. "Why?"

Bi-Han grit his teeth, removing the knife from his leg cleanly. "Because that's Kuai."

* * *

Kuai ran through the unfamiliar halls, breathing rapidly as he tried to find an exit. 

Did his capturer think that he didn't recognize him after he knocked him out the first time? Now, the young boy didn't know where he was. 

He ran into a room, scanning the inside for a chance of escape. There was a small window on the opposite wall, but it was at the top, a good twenty feet high.

"STOP!"

The ten-year-old Kuai Liang spun around, retreating closer to the wall with the window. The grey-clothed man that had aided the black-clothed man was standing in the front of the group of others. More were starting to accumulate in the room.

"You're trapped, Kuai," the grey man said. Kuai tilted his head.  _How did he know my name?_

"We can help you," he continued. "You've lost a lot of memories, but we can help you get them back. You just need to trust us. Please," he begged.

Kuai frowned. "My older brother told me to never trust anyone!" he shouted angrily.

One other man with a silver mask on the lower half of his face suddenly dashed over to Kuai, with a speed that took the younger boy off guard. However, as the assailant held him in a chokehold, Kuai bit on his hand, and the man yelled in pain, dropping him. 

Kuai grabbed the man's shoulder, shoving him to the ground and stepped on his head as he was falling, using the man as a "jump-pad" of sorts to propel himself up to the engraved columns.

Hanzo and the others watched with amazement and shock (Kabal clutching his hand in pain) as Kuai latched onto the column, climbing upwards to the window, using the engravings on it to gain proper hand- and foot-holds. At the top of the column, Kuai was still a distance away from the window. He looked down at the crowd, then back to the window, preparing himself to jump.

"Oh my god. He's going to do it," Tomas said, closing his eyes. 

Hanzo prepared to teleport to the young Kuai to catch him, but Kuai jumped earlier than expected, and Hanzo could only watch as the boy did a backflip off the column and through the small opening of the window.

He slid through the opening almost seamlessly.

"Oh my god, he's outside. Someone get him before he gets away!" Kung Lao shouted. 

However, Raiden teleported at their location, holding a lashing Kuai by his collar.

The Thunder God had a tired expression on his face, and he addressed the three Lin Kuei. "Explain. Please."

* * *

Bi-Han quickly explained how they had found Kuai in his room, a young boy who was confused and scared. 

They had tried to persuade him that they meant no harm, but he refused to believe so, openly attacking them all. They had locked him in the cage, bringing him to Raiden to see if there was something he could do.

Raiden also heard the story about the sorcerer and shook his head. "I believe that there is an antidote for these spells. However, without knowing about the sorcerer and his methods or techniques, it is highly uncertain that the correct cure can be obtained."

Sindel spoke up. "Where is the body of the sorcerer? If we have it, I can revive him, and we can then force him to tell us what he did. That will give us the answers we need to create the antidote."

The others nodded in agreement, Kitana smiling at her mother. Sindel ducked her head, thankful for their praise.

Raiden nodded. "It is agreed, then. We will revive the sorcerer and demand him to reveal his secrets, allowing us to make the antidote for Kuai. However, until then, someone will need to watch over him until this is over."

Kuai, who had been listening to them the entire time, now knew about what had happened to him. He looked around at the others, getting up and walking over to the man that had given him the most sense of comfort.

Hanzo shook his head as Kuai approached and then stopped beside him. "No. I'm not doing this," the Shirai Ryu said.

Johnny snickered. "Come on, Hanzo! Don't make the kid cry."

Kuai glared at the ex-actor. "I don't cry. If you say that again, it'll be you bawling your eyes out."

Sonya silenced Johnny, looking down at the youngster. "You don't want to go with your best friend and older brother?"

Kuai looked up at Sonya uncertainly, eyes wide and innocent, shaking his head slowly. He still had his lingering doubts with them, but this man had done nothing wrong to him. _Yet._  Sonya sighed in understanding, turning to look at Hanzo. "You have experience with kids, Hanzo. He'll be safe in your hands," she said.

Hanzo groaned. "Fuck me and my life. I should have just gotten hit by that stupid thing."

Tomas gasped loudly. "Language!" he scolded.

Hanzo shot him a glare, getting up and leaving the room.

Kuai cast one last look behind, looking at everyone in the room. He waved goodbye slowly, running out of the room to catch up with Hanzo.

* * *

When Hanzo had teleported them both to the Shirai Ryu temple, the sun was just starting to rise. And, Kuai had immediately started talking.

"Whoa! You have fire abilities? That's _so_ cool! I mean, I have ice powers, but they're boring sometimes. Were you born with your powers? If not, could you teach me? It would be awesome to be able to scorch someone to death, you know? Wow! The trees are really beautiful. I love the colors, it looks like they're on fire. Did you plan that intentionally? I love science, by the way. If you were curious, I spend my free time sketching birds in nature. Tomas says that they look like the real thing, you know? He looks so different-"

Hanzo, currently short-tempered, snapped. "Can you stop talking?"

Kuai, whose mouth was open, ready to say something, quickly closed it. He followed after Hanzo through the gardens, silent and staring at the ground dejectedly.

Hanzo cast a look at the young boy, feeling guilt overcome him quickly. He sighed, stopping in his tracks as Kuai halted as well. "I'm sorry. It's just-"

"No, I get it," Kuai said, kicking a lone pebble on the ground. "The elders are always punishing me for speaking out. Bi-Han  _hates_ it when I do it. I'm trying, you know?" He looked up with wide eyes. "I'm trying to do good, but it feels forced. I hate staying silent. I don't understand why I have to!"

Hanzo felt pity for the young cryomancer, and he knelt to face him. "No. It's my fault. You're free from them. You don't have to listen to them anymore. You just need to be  _you._ Don't let anyone else force you to be someone you're not."

Kuai smiled shyly. "Okay. Thank you."

Hanzo got up, nodding. "Come on. I'll show you around, and then we can get something to eat." 

* * *

They had walked through the temple, the waking students whispering between themselves about the young boy following Hanzo like a puppy.

The two had entered the kitchen where Hanzo grabbed plums from a fruit basket. There were plum trees in the garden, and the students would set out, picking the ripe fruit from the trees where they would save some and eat the rest.

Hanzo pushed the bowl of cut fruit towards Kuai, who looked down at the fruit curiously. "I've never had a plum before!" he gushed. "Is there a specific way to eat them? Are you just supposed to bite into them? Can you eat the seed? I know that you can eat some seeds, but not all. I wonder how it tastes."

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster sighed, and Kuai looked up guiltily. He picked up a piece of fruit, biting into it and chewing with a thoughtful expression on his face.

His face scrunched up, swallowing the fruit. "It's sour!"

Hanzo resisted the urge to groan aloud, but then Kuai smiled. "I never had a sour fruit before!" He quickly picked up another piece, munching on it happily.

After the young boy had finished his breakfast, the two set out so that Hanzo could follow his usual routine. He glanced down at Kuai, who was struggling to catch up to the bigger man's strides. "You don't have to follow me around, you know. You're more than capable of fending for yourself, and you can rest easy."

Kuai looked up. "But I don't wanna be by myself." He said it in a demanding tone.

Hanzo sighed.  _Some things never change..._ "Fine. I have some paper in my study. You can have that with some pencils, and you can draw the birds outside. The trees are usually full of them around this time of year."

Kuai beamed happily. "Thank you, Mister!"

* * *

Hanzo watched his students sparring with a critical eye, calling out to students every now and then.

Meanwhile, Kuai was running through the Fire Garden, trying to look for signs of wildlife. He frowned, realizing that the sounds of the other students were driving the animals away, so he ventured further into the forest, looking for animals. He also reminded himself to stay away from the borders, keeping himself safe while he kept his guard down.

However, as he was running through the woods, he tripped over something in his haste, falling on his hands. "Ow!"

He looked at the ground to see what he had stumbled over, only to look up in slight fear when he realized that he had tripped over someone's foot.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Three boys dressed in Shirai Ryu garb, all teenagers, stood over Kuai. The obvious ringleader of the group leered at Kuai.

"Where are you running off to, fun-sized?" Kuai squared his shoulders. "That's none of your business. Besides, you'd never be able to understand what I'm saying. You neanderthals are all low in intelligence."

One of the other boys pushed Kuai. "You think you're so clever, huh?" Kuai got back on his feet quickly. "I could take on all of you. Easy," he declared.

The other boys laughed among themselves, but Kuai smirked confidently. The ringleader rushed at Kuai, but the cryomancer ducked under his punch, rolling between his legs and kicking at the other two boys.

He dodged all of their blows, landing harsh ones in retaliation. After two of the boys lay on the ground, groaning with pain, the leader of the group drew his sword in a blaze of blinding fury. "I'm going to gut you, you stupid kid!" he snarled. He charged at Kuai, who was unaware of how to forge ice weapons. He ducked under the initial swipe, falling to the ground as he crawled back, avoiding the downwards swipes of the blade.

Kuai backed himself up frightfully until his back made contact with a tree. He had nowhere else to run. The Shirai Ryu grinned menacingly. "Time to die, punk." He raised his sword, and Kuai raised his hands, paralyzed in fear.

The sound of two blades striking each other sounded out.

Kuai hesitantly opened his eyes, gasping when he saw another Shirai Ryu student holding a sword of their own, blocking the killing blow.

His defender spoke. "I thought I saw you three break away from the practice. Are you insane, Roy? Since when did you stoop so low to kill a defenceless child?"

"Roy" snarled angrily. "This 'defenceless' child beat up Trevor and Ethan! He's a menace, Laura!" 

Laura glared from under her cowl. "Tell me this, then? Who started it, Roy?"

The two fought, the sounds of their swords ringing in the air. Kuai stared in awe at the sight, gasping when Laura barely managed to avoid getting struck. He pointed his hand at Roy, shooting a beam of blue light at him. The bully's eyes widened in shock but was helpless to do anything as it made contact with him, freezing him in place.

Kuai and Laura panted in exhaustion. She looked down at Kuai, nodding with respect. "Thanks for the assist."

As he made his way to his feet, Kuai blinked. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to say that."

She shrugged. "Well, I guess that makes us even now." She grinned at Kuai, who was significantly shorter than her. "So, since when did Grandmaster start adopting little kids?" 

Kuai opened his mouth to explain when a tornado of fire appeared next to them. Hanzo walked out, frowning at the scene. Kuai walked over to him, holding out his arms. "I can explain. I was trying to find birds in the woods when they tried to attack me. Laura saved me."

The female Shirai Ryu student nodded in affirmation. "He drew his blade, Grandmaster." Hanzo glared at the three boys; one frozen, two groaning in pain. 

"Thank you, Laura," Hanzo nodded. "Help me bring them to the temple. They'll be punished for sure."

* * *

Later that night, Hanzo was ready to sleep when he decided to check up on little Kuai in his room.

Kuai's room was right next door to Hanzo's, such that if something should happen, the Shirai Ryu would be able to rush to help him quickly. Hanzo was surprised to see that the door was ajar, and he peered inside to see what was going on.

Kuai was looking outside the window, elbows bent on the windowsill. He was looking up at the night sky, staring at the stars. Hanzo, already aware of Kuai's affinity for science, watched as Kuai continued to look up. 

At that moment, a yellow bird chose to land next to Kuai on the windowsill. It had white markings around its eyes, and Kuai gasped softly in wonder.

They kept looking at each other until the yellow bird seemed to trust him, settling down to roost there. Kuai ran to his desk, grabbing the untouched piece of bread from his meal and went back to the bird, where he proceeded to break it into smaller pieces, feeding it to the bird.

Hanzo smiled gently as Kuai began to speak to it, treating it as if it were a friend or guardian angel. He knew that in his childhood, Kuai did not have many friends, save for Tomas and Bi-Han. Yet, seeing the young boy this energetic and happy made Hanzo angry at the Lin Kuei for corrupting Kuai and his chances of having a happy childhood.

Nevertheless, the cryomancer still had managed to avoid becoming emotionless like the others and was now greater than all of them. Hanzo could also easily say that Kuai was better than most of the kombatants, not in skill, but in personality.

He left the young cryomancer to his own devices, returning to his room and left his door open just a crack. If Kuai needed his help with something, his door would be open for him. 


	13. The Joys of Childhood (Part 2)

When Kuai woke up the next morning, he rubbed his eyes to rid himself of the lingering sleep, making his way to the kitchen by himself.

Unfortunately, he was still little and would stay little until Sindel and Raiden made the antidote for the spell. He had been given a slight scare when he first had come to, seeing unfamiliar faces around him back at the Lin Kuei. After he was taught the truth, however, he marvelled over how different Tomas and Bi-Han had looked since they had grown up.

Finally entering the kitchen as the sunlight was starting to peek in through the windows, Kuai opened the fridge, easily able to grab the fruit from the lower drawer. He shut it firmly, frowning when he realized that the bowls were kept in the top cabinets. He hoisted himself onto the marble countertops easily, standing on the stone to open the cupboard and retrieving a porcelain bowl with blue etchings.

Jumping down and landing softly on his feet, Kuai grabbed a knife from the rack, going to the table and preparing to cut open the fruit.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Kuai jumped in his seat at the voice. He looked up with confusion, meeting Hanzo's face of panic. "I'm slicing fruit," he said, gesturing to the items in front of him. 

Hanzo walked over to him, snatching the knife away. "Don't touch the knives, Kuai." The young boy folded his arms, slightly offended by the statement. "I'm a grown-ass adult in a child's body. And even at my age, I have experience wielding knives and other weapons. I'm a fricking assassin!"

The Shirai Ryu opened his mouth to speak, understood Kuai's logic, and then closed it again. He seemed to deflate somewhat and finally said, "I'm sorry. It's just... I forgot," he said.

Kuai eyed him in confusion before taking the knife back. "Okay..." He set back to his task, removing the pit and chewed on the flesh of the fruit happily as Hanzo left the kitchen.

_I wonder what that was all about..._

* * *

"Hey, Laura!"

The Shirai Ryu student turned to face Kuai, who had run up to her, panting. "Sorry. I don't want to hold you up, but I noticed that your Grandmaster doesn't seem to like being around young kids. Why?"

She pursed her lips, trying to piece her words together carefully. "Grandmaster Hasashi used to serve in the original Shirai Ryu clan. He went on a mission, where he was confronted by Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei clan. They fought, and Hanzo was killed. Shortly after, his clan was wiped out by Quan Chi and his minions, but he told Hanzo after resurrecting him as a wraith that the Lin Kuei were the ones responsible."

Kuai's eyes widened in shock. "What?" Laura shrugged. "He believed it; after all, Sub-Zero killed him, so it made some sense. He went on a quest for revenge, killing Sub-Zero in the Mortal Kombat tournament. But after that, Sub-Zero's younger brother, who had taken up his name, went to avenge his brother's death. The younger brother is still alive today; he's the current Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei."

Kuai was surprised at all the information he was learning about his future life and Hanzo's past. He looked up at Laura, paying close attention. She continued, "The younger Sub-Zero defeated Hanzo, who was referred to as 'Scorpion' back then. Shit hit the fan with Shao Kahn's attempts to conquer Earthrealm, and after the fact, both Sub-Zero and Grandmaster Hasashi rebuilt their respective clans. Sub-Zero extended the offer for a peace treaty, showing Hanzo that Quan Chi was responsible for the Shirai Ryu's extinction in the first place. Since then, they've become pretty good friends. Looking at them today, it's hard to believe that they used to be at each other's throats."

The young cryomancer nodded. "Wow... but why does Hanzo not like little kids?" Laura shuffled nervously, looking around them in apprehension. "He had a wife and son in the first Shirai Ryu clan," she said in a lowered voice. "We've heard that their deaths heavily impacted him. I guess that having you around makes him remember his son."

Kuai nodded, a somber expression on his face. "Thanks, Laura." She nodded, smiling down at Kuai. She ruffled his hair affectionally. "Don't worry about it; he really cares about you."

She ran off to catch up with her classmates, leaving Kuai alone in the cold and empty hallways.

Kuai had already forged a plan. He walked through the halls, going to his room to retrieve paper and a pen. Laying a single piece of parchment on his desk, he scribbled words on it and then ran off to place it in a certain room. 

With this task done, Kuai ran to his rooms, packing up his things quickly. He ran through the halls one last time, finding the portal room that Hanzo had shown to him yesterday in case he needed to flee. Kuai punched in the approximate coordinates of the Lin Kuei temple, stepping through the portal.

* * *

Hanzo sighed in exhaustion after the lesson, returning to his room.

The session had been unexpectedly prolonged through the majority of the day; currently, the sun was starting to set. He closed the bedroom door behind him, turning around and frowned when he noticed something on his clean bed.

He walked over, picking it up and reading it by the dying light. As he read through the words, his eyes widened in disbelief and slight fear.

Cursing, he threw the paper to the floor, grabbing his stuff and running out of the room, calling his second-in-command to alert him that he would be watching over the Shirai Ryu while he was gone.

The paper hovered in the air slightly, before settling down on the floor, the words visible on the top:

_Hi Hanzo! This is Kuai Liang. I wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for me. I have been happy and content here, and you've shown me nothing but kindness._

_However, I couldn't help but realize that my presence was somehow making you uncomfortable; I inquired anonymous others about the reason for this state of uncomfortableness, and I learned about your wife and son. Please don't be mad! I was curious..._

_Now that I knew about your past, I felt guilty that I was forcing you to put aside your happiness for me. So, I left. But don't panic! I'm going to be fine. I'm going to the Lin Kuei where Tomas and Bi-Han are. I stole a few of your weapons; sorry!_

_Despite everything, I just wanted to finish off by saying that I am extremely grateful for your help, and I wanted to give you a piece of advice:_

_Please don't linger too long on the memory of your family and clan! Life has so much more to offer, but you need to go out and experience it for yourself. Take care of yourself!_

_-Kuai_

* * *

A young boy walked through the snowy forests of the uninhabited area, utterly lost.

Kuai frowned as he looked around the area, frowning through the snowflakes falling from the sky. Maybe he was just not in the boundaries of the Lin Kuei territory yet. He continued to walk through the unfamiliar forest, keeping his guard up as he trudged through the snow.

Luckily, the cold did not bother him as much as it would others, but now, he felt the chills of the biting wind slowly start to hit his skin. He shivered, looking around him. Now, the trees seemed uninviting, the sun slowly starting to disappear entirely. Kuai scanned his surroundings with wide, open eyes, occasionally taking a step forward when he was confident enough.

It was the first time that he was alone; he was used to being surrounded by the other students in the Lin Kuei and found comfort in their presences. 

Presently, it began to snow even harder. The snowflakes that fell were huge chunks, lacking the familiar symmetry that a small one would have. Kuai shivered more vigorously, wrapping his arms around his chest to preserve heat.

Kuai tilted his head towards the sky, which had lost the sun entirely. He cast one more look at his surroundings and pushed his way until he made it to the base of a certain tree, where he lay down at the foot of it and closed his eyes, shivering all the while. 

Hopefully, in the morning, he'd be able to get a better view of his bearings.

Meanwhile, Hanzo had re-entered the coordinates that Kuai had put into the portals, and he was now located a few miles away from Kuai's location. Knowing that a young child wouldn't be able to get far, Hanzo immediately set out, calling Kuai's name into the forest.

Hanzo huffed, maintaining his barrier of heat to keep him warm in the frigid storm. As with Kuai, the cold didn't affect him as much, and he blinked through the furious snowfall, holding an arm out in front of his line of view. 

Squinting through the darkness of the night, Hanzo frowned as he made out a darker shape against the base of a tree. He pushed past the howling winds, walking closer to the unknown figure. When he had finally reached his destination, Hanzo fell to his to the ground, shoving Kuai's shoulder roughly.

Unfortunately, Kuai seemed to be sound asleep, save for the constant shivering state that he was in. Hanzo also noticed with increasing worry that the young boy was also more lacking in coverage in terms of clothing. He wiped off the snow that was beginning to pile on top of Kuai, lifting the boy up and teleporting back to the warmth and security of the Shirai Ryu Temple.

* * *

Kuai woke up with a start, looking around wildly. He had been dreaming of a nightmare, which he realized after a few seconds of recovering.

"We need to have a talk."

Kuai's head snapped over to the other person in his room. Hanzo had spent the night sleeping in the armchair in Kuai's room, keeping guard to make sure that the young boy wouldn't try something again. He had his arms crossed in disapproval, but Kuai kept a firm gaze, not backing down. 

"I know that you're mad at me," Kuai began. "But I wasn't expecting you to come after me! I heard about your family, and I realized that my presence was making you uncomfortable and bringing up unwanted memories. So, I left to go to the Lin Kuei. I didn't want to be a burden, you know." He was wringing his hands all the while, his feelings of distraught leaking through as he continued to speak.

Hanzo looked on sympathetically. While Kuai had been stupid in his judgement, he had only done so to alleviate Hanzo's worries and stress. The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster sighed, standing up. "I have healed from the loss of my family, Kuai. And while at some times their deaths affect me, it has never been as bad as it used to be. You are not a  _burden,_ and in no way, shape, or form would I let you go off without my supervision! I don't understand why you thought I wouldn't come after you."

Kuai snorted. "Yeah, right," he muttered. 

It was loud enough for Hanzo to pick up, and he glared down at the kid. Kuai crossed his arms defiantly. "My own parents didn't want me. Want me or Bi-Han."

Hanzo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kuai rolled his eyes. "You think that we were born into the Lin Kuei? We were taken from our families at a young age and raised to become warriors. And yeah, I was young, but not young enough to not remember how my parents let us go without complaint." He shifted in his seat. "I still have nightmares," he finally admitted.

Hanzo sighed. Kuai, even in his older state, had never told him about this. Truth be told, there was a lot about the Lin Kuei Grandmaster that Hanzo still didn't know. He knelt down on his knees, reaching eye-to-eye with Kuai.

"Well, it's their loss," Hanzo said. "You are one of the most courageous people I know. You are fierce in battle, yet kind to others. Your parents missed out on the chance to raise you as their child, but you have become greater than them."

Kuai played with his hands, detached from the conversation. "I just... I wish I got to know them better."

Hanzo smiled slightly, beginning to see where this was going. "You miss them." 

But, his assertion proved to be false when Kuai shook his head. "They're my only link to my other life. What I could have been, other than this." He gestured with his hand. "A fighter, an assassin; I hate killing!"

At this point, his eyes were tearing up. Hanzo had stepped back in shock, not expecting this at all. "They turned me into a tool for their purposes: to kill innocents. I had no idea that what I was doing was wrong until I was sent to kill a family, and I couldn't. I let them go. From that point on, I felt like a monster. And I hate it all!"

Hanzo's perspective on Kuai's person had taken a full one-eighty turn. He had thought that the cryomancer was prepared to take a life whenever necessary, and yet here was his younger self, contradicting those thoughts entirely.

His words had opened a whole new perspective on the other man _entirely_.

Kuai sniffled, wiping his eyes. He looked up slowly. "Sorry," he muttered. "Bi-Han always says that I'm too dramatic."

Hanzo shook himself from his state of stupor, getting up to sit next to Kuai. He awkwardly hugged the crying child from the side.  _I have no idea what to do about this shit._

However, the hug seemed to do the trick, as Kuai soon broke off, wiping his eyes again. "Thanks," Kuai spoke aloud. Hanzo nodded in response. "Just don't run off again," he answered gruffly, leaving the room to allow the Lin Kuei child some privacy from his rant.

* * *

Other than that event, the week progressed uneventfully. 

Kuai had stayed in his room for the majority of the first couple of days, occasionally coming out to eat. However, after that, the young inquisitive boy had ventured out again, holding a notepad and pencil as he disappeared into the Fire Gardens.

Sometimes, Hanzo would catch sight of Kuai, standing ever so still as his hand moved across the pages of the notepad. Hanzo would wonder every time what the boy saw in the trees that had captivated his interest.

When the week had drawn to a close, Raiden had arrived at the Shirai Ryu temple, bearing good news. Sindel had successfully been able to provide an antidote to the spell cast on Kuai. Before Kuai left with the Thunder God, he turned around and gave Hanzo the notepad, smiling slightly. "In case older me doesn't believe you," was all he said, before leaving to the Sky Temple with Raiden.

As Hanzo watched them leave, he felt a tightening sensation in his chest that rendered him unable to breathe for a few seconds. By watching over the young Kuai, Hanzo had felt a sense of protectiveness such that a parent would have over their own child. So, as it had turned out, Kuai wasn't wrong when he said that he reminded Hanzo of his son.

Hanzo walked back to his students, a wry smile on his face as he went to resume his everyday activities.

_See, Harumi? I am a good father after all._

* * *

**The Next Day**

Kuai looked between the other four people in the room, a tired and unimpressed expression on his face.

"But we're telling you the truth!" Tomas waved wildly with his hands. "You were turned into a kid, Kuai! Short, young-looking, no scar, no weird beard of any sort-"

"What Tomas is trying to say," Bi-Han interjected, casting a glare the said person, "is that we are all telling you the truth."

Kuai sighed, leaning forwards in his seat. "Right. I see what's going on here. You're angry for those pranks I pulled on you before, and you drugged me, and are now trying to tell me that I've forgotten everything that happened these past few days because I, what; became a ten-year-old version of myself?"

Frost, standing in the corner, studied her nails with apt interest, or so it appeared. "Told you he wouldn't believe us."

Hanzo, then from the back of the group, stepped forward, throwing a single bound notepad on the desk in front of Kuai. The cryomancer raised a brow in question, before grabbing it with one hand and opening it up to an open page.

The response was instantaneous. His eyes were narrowed in confusion, then widened in realization and shock before becoming composed again. He closed it as soon as he had opened it, placing it in a drawer and chuckling slightly, shaking his head. 

"Nevermind," The Grandmaster said, waving a hand. "I believe you all now. You're dismissed. Not you, Hanzo."

Bi-Han was the last to leave the room, casting a curious look at his younger brother. "What was it you saw?"

Kuai waved him off. "I'll show you later. I swear." Bi-Han left, unhappy with the answer but satisfied that he would know later.

Hanzo sat in the seat opposite the desk, and Kuai took out the pad again, flipping through the pages. He smiled gently, eyes soft and reflecting a strong sense of nostalgia. "Did my younger self show you this?" Kuai asked Hanzo.

The Shirai Ryu Grandmaster shook his head. "No. He told me that it was for you in case you didn't believe us."

Kuai slid the pad across the desk, offering it to Hanzo. "We both know that this was supposed to be shown to you first," Kuai said, motioning for Hanzo to look through the book. He got up, walking over to a file cabinet with a lock on the top drawer.

Hanzo opened up the book, eyes widening at what he saw. There was a beautiful sketch done of the same bird that had visited Kuai on the first night that he had arrived at the Shirai Ryu temple. It had been colored in, and Hanzo wondered briefly if Laura had offered younger Kuai her color pencils. He continued to flip through the pages, which all detailed landscapes of the trees of the Fire Gardens, stopping suddenly when he saw a certain drawing.

It had been a sketch of none other than Hanzo himself, poised to attack in the air. Flames had been drawn in around his fists, and the image had its sword in its hand, ready to strike. Like the others, it had been colored as well, resembling more of a photo than a drawing. Hanzo shivered at the likeliness of the image, closing the book and setting it down on the desk.

Meanwhile, Kuai made a noise of self-accomplishment, removing an old stack of parchment and walking back to his desk. He spread out the papers, and looked up, grinning at Hanzo's reaction.

It was clear that the artists of both collections of art were the same. These older drawings included the cherry blossom trees in the back of the Lin Kuei temple, along with drawings of cities and other places that Kuai had gone to for his missions. 

Kuai chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah. As soon as I saw the drawing, I knew that you were telling the truth. None of my drawings had been created with color, and I stopped drawing after I was thirteen. Too much work, you know?"

Hanzo touched an image on the table, detailing Tomas, Kuai, and Bi-Han when they were younger. In the drawing, all three were standing side-by-side, arms wrapped around each other's backs in friendly gestures with big smiles on their faces. 

Kuai nodded, looking at the drawing. "I remember that. I drew it on Bi-Han's birthday."

Hanzo shook his head, looking up at the cryomancer. "You could have been _this_. An artist; someone living a normal life without needing to worry about keeping yourself alive on the battlefield. Your younger self told me about your parents. They let you go to the hands of the Lin Kuei, and you lost your chances at being a normal person!"

Kuai sat back down with a heavy sigh. "Actually," he replied with a bitter smile, "I found out more about my parents after I had been freed from my revenant form. Raiden had told me."

Hanzo leaned in closer, enraptured with this new information as Kuai continued. "It turns out that we had been brought up in Outworld. All cryomancers were native to that land, but as you know, they became extinct shortly thereafter. This was mainly due to Shao Kahn's abrupt takeover of the Outworld throne. He saw our people as a threat to his power, and he wiped them out. Our parents knew about his resentment towards the cryomancers, and so when a Lin Kuei patrol was in the nearby area, we all went out for a walk, meeting them on the pathway."

Kuai nodded slightly. "They gave us to them. So, you see then Hanzo, they didn't let us go because they didn't care about us. They gave us away to save us. And why should I resent that? Thanks to them, I now have a clan that is tasked with defending the innocent, and through the same purpose, I have gained allies and friends. I have a _family_ with them. And that's what you never could see, Hanzo. That family doesn't have to be defined in blood. Sometimes..." Kuai said, smiling and looking off into the distance. Hanzo had let the words wash over him, understanding Kuai's valuable speech.

"Sometimes a family is a bunch of dysfunctional idiotic friends that make you smile for no reason. They're there where your family would have been; to comfort you, to support you, to help you in times of need. I think that you've started to realize this after establishing the Shirai Ryu again, and spending more time with the Special Forces and us. But make no mistake, Hanzo," Kuai said, grinning happily.

"I'm perfectly happy with my family. And I know that wherever they may be, my parents are proud and happy for me." 


End file.
